Warming Fall Food Doesn’t Have To Be Unhealthy

It always seems easier to eat a healthy, seemingly balanced, diet in the warm weather; summer tends to be full of grilled meats fresh off the BBQ, salads, and fruit smoothies.  The cravings for sugary food and heavy carbs tend to be less frequent due to the warm and hot weather.  The sunshine also means that you’re more likely to be outside and getting active on a regular basis, so those extra calories from ice cream and the cheese on your burger are burned off quickly.

People tend to feel that as fall approaches and the colder weather gets into full swing; any ideas about a healthy, balanced diet have to be flung out of the window and replaced with hot pizza and various pies (yum).  However, this is not the case; fall brings with it an array of fresh, seasonal produce that can help to create delicious, healthy, and hearty meals that will fill and warm you up.  If you’re cooking from scratch; there’s no reason you can’t stick to a balanced lifestyle, full of your favorite food and recipes; there are even healthy choices to be had when you’re out and about, so don’t panic!  The following are some ideas, tips, and things to consider regarding your fall appetite, and the changes in food you’ll notice from summer.

Fresh Is Best

Fresh food doesn’t have to mean cold, crunchy salad; although, this is a perfectly good choice of meal if you’re craving crisp leaves and juicy tomatoes.  For a start; you can create a hot salad, perfect for fall.  So, you’re probably asking what recipes are out there for hot salads, right?  Check out Pinterest.com for some inspiration and start writing that grocery list.  The fresher your ingredients, the better.   You might be tempted to throw a ready-meal in the microwave when you get home from work, but it’ll be full of hidden sugar, salt, and preservatives.  Ready meals also tend to be full of empty calories so that you won’t stay full for long, and you’ll be craving more food later in the evening.

Plan Ahead

Planning ahead will become your favorite activity as the seasons change. Take a Saturday or Sunday to cook some large pots of stew, soup, or casserole, and create your own ready meals.  One-pot cooking is a great way to add lots of vegetables, containing vitamins and fiber, into a meal.  You portions it out and freeze some.  If you’ve made an effort to create wholesome meals, you’ll have the benefit of having delicious food to heat up after work, that you know only contains the good stuff.  Serve your homemade stews with some steamed green veggies for added nourishment.  Don’t be completely afraid of carbohydrates, especially if you’re staying active in the cold weather.  You can have a chunk of whole grain bread with your soup or a handful of small roasted potatoes with a casserole; delicious!

If you’re used to cold, fresh fruit smoothies in the morning, don’t swap it for peanut and jelly on toast or a sugary cereal choice.  Make a warm bowl of oats and stir through some apple compote or berries for added vitamins and natural sweetness.  You don’t have to skip your morning coffee either; coffee can be full of antioxidants (and we all need that caffeine boost).  However, try to limit the amount of sugary spiced lattes that will be tempting you around this time of year.  You’ll only have a sugar crash before lunchtime, and heading back for more unhealthy treats to satiate your appetite.  Slow release carbohydrates will fill you up for longer, and you won’t risk any unwanted cravings before lunch.   Oatmeal and whole grain toast are perfect options for a great start to the day during fall.

Be Wary Of Comfort Eating

If you’ve fought off your unwanted cravings for unhealthy food with the above suggestions; you’re already on to a winner.   But there will always be cold days and nights where you just want to reach for convenience foods or something to nibble on when you’re watching a movie.  So, you’re hungry, but still looking for foods to aid your weightloss?  Check out Mobilityguardian.com to discover what to stock up on in the cupboards, and what to avoid altogether.  If the wrong, unhealthy foods and snacks aren’t in your kitchen, but alternative nourishing options are there instead, you’re unlikely to be running to the store on a freezing fall night, and you’ll reach for something healthy instead.

Eating a healthy balanced fall diet doesn’t mean cutting back on your intake of food; it just means discovering the fresh produce the season has to offer and filling up on that instead.

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One Response to Warming Fall Food Doesn’t Have To Be Unhealthy

  1. Pingback: Hot Drink And Treat Combinations For Winter - The Lazy GastronomeThe Lazy Gastronome

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