Fall is here, and so are your favorite foods! It doesn’t get much better than a fresh fruit pie to sweeten your taste buds, or warming yourself up to a hot out of the oven vegetable casserole, something that can be hard to enjoy in 100 degree summer days. Just because you put your bikini away for the rest of the year isn’t an excuse to eat unhealthily, but with our dishes, you won’t have to compromise taste with nutrition. Here is a list of our favorite fall foods to enjoy during these next few chilly months.
- Vegan Pumpkin Spiced Latte: Yes, everyone’s favorite drink can now be enjoyed as a healthy boost of energy! Starbucks makes their PSL’s with whole milk, something that doesn’t always agree with everyone’s tummies. Make your own version at home with coconut or almond milk as a substitute for whole milk, and replace sugar with an alternative sweetener like Stevia or Agave to save yourself the calories and excess sugar. Also, according to studies, adding cinnamon can lower blood sugar levels!
- Cinnamon Apple Chips: Instead of going for the traditional and fattening apple pie, go for a healthier option with cinnamon apple chips! These are very simple to make, with the only ingredients being apples and cinnamon. All you do is thinly cut 2 apples and sprinkle cinnamon over the apple slices, and pop in the oven at 225 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour, and you have yourself a healthy snack.
- Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Chicken Quinoa Stew: A heart-healthy stew that is perfect for cool fall days, you’re not going to go wrong with ingredients like butternut squash, quinoa, and chicken! Prep your CrockPot for a delicious meal mixed with spices like oregano, curry powder, and cayenne pepper. You’ll need to let this dish cook for about 3-4 hours on high heat, or 7-8 hours on low heat. Serve topped with fresh parsley for a low effort meal.
- Spaghetti Squash: Combine your two favorite foods into one with this easy dish! Rachael Ray created this one of kind entree with a made-from-scratch marinara sauce and herb-fortified stock. Everyone is going to be wowed by your cooking skills when you use the squash as a bowl for the spaghetti.
- Vegetable Soup: There’s something about eating a hot bowl of soup during a crisp fall day. Indulge in something hearty and tasty with a vegetable and pasta soup, using fresh veggies from the market and you’ll be getting your daily intake of vegetables for the day.
- Pumpkin Seeds: Make yourself a quick and healthy snack of pumpkin seeds by throwing some seeds into a bowl, mixed with coconut oil and a splash of cinnamon for extra flavor. Put them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes and viola! This snack is low in fat and light in calories, while high in potassium.
- Healthy Meatloaf: Just because you’re craving meatloaf doesn’t mean it needs to be your cheat meal for the week! A hot meatloaf baked with tasty veggies like green bell peppers and zucchini, what’s a better way to fill yourself up? To keep yourself from not being able to button your jeans after dinner, prepare this meal with extra lean ground beef and a cup of whole wheat bread crumbs, and you’ve got yourself a yummy dinner.
- Oven-Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges: Looking for healthy side dishes can be difficult, especially ones that the whole family will eat. Check out sweet potato wedges, oven-roasted with garlic-flavored olive oil, dry mustard, minced fresh rosemary, and sea salt. Sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamins A and C, while high in fiber and copper.
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Cranberries and Balsamic Reduction: Turn the vegetable you hated as a kid into a treat with a unique and elegant taste to counteract the bitter flavor of Brussel sprouts. Cook the Brussel sprouts with balsamic vinegar with half a cup of olive oil and a cup of dried cranberries to create the sweet and savory sensation in your sprouts. Cranberries are high in vitamin C and are a great aid to digestion.
- Pumpkin Overnight Oats: This breakfast option will be a surefire way to satisfy your sweet tooth while not feeling the need to splurge on a high sugar meal you might otherwise eat in the morning. Like the title says, prepare this breakfast in advance and let it sit in the fridge overnight. All you need is your choice of soy or almond milk mixed with oats, chia seeds, honey, and a dash of salt and cinnamon. Almond milk is high in calcium and much lower in cholesterol than dairy milk. When you’re ready to eat in the morning, add some sliced bananas for extra potassium and a scoop of peanut butter for protein, and you’ve got a well-rounded breakfast!
