Much like taxes, winter colds seem inevitable, even when the winter is as mild as ours has been this year. In my family, the stuffy heads and sniffles always seem to hit toward the end of the season. So when winter starts to wane, I stock up on tissues.I could cut my risks, though. We now know that what we eat can dramatically affect how we feel. By incorporating certain foods into our diets (see below), we can not only minimize but possibly even prevent what ails us.

Finding delicious ways to incorporate this culinary "medicine" into our family's diets can be a challenge at times. This week's sweet and savory pork tenderloin dish offers multiple benefits: It's tasty and good for you, loaded with carotene-packed sweet potatoes and toasted walnuts.

And it's a one-pan meal, which is my favorite. After all, no matter how well I'm feeling, I always feel better when I'm not doing the dishes.

Meredith Deeds of Edina is the author of "Everyday to Entertaining" and "The Big Book of Appetizers." Reach her at meredith@meredithdeeds.com. Follow her on Twitter @meredithdeeds.