Fall marks the time of year for comfy sweaters, warm meals, and holiday baking. The colder it gets, the more we tend to head inside to hibernate for the majority of our waking hours. We move a little less, eat a little more, and wear clothes that fit a little cozier. For this reason, even the fittest person can find that eating healthy is a bit more of a challenge once fall hits and the holiday seasons get closer.
Fortunately, there are a few tips you can use to focus a little more on the healthy side of eating at home. Whether you?re making more soups, growing your own herbs, picking food that is in season, searching for healthy baking recipes, or trying new things, you are already ahead of the game by being more conscious of your healthy eating habits this fall.
Try Healthy Soups and Stews
One great way to eat healthier this fall is to focus on the cozy fall treat known as soup! Soup is great all year round, but in the warmer months it can be rare to crave such a cozy dish when the temperatures are rising. Not only are stews or soups very seasonal for fall, they are also super easy to prepare.
Finding a healthy soup or stew recipe can be easy as well. In order to make or find a healthy soup recipe, focus on protein and veggies. Don?t be afraid to stick to a stew you love but substitute in some healthy options. This spicy chicken stew is a great fall recipe filled with veggies and protein.
Grow Your Own Herbs
Not only is gardening a great outdoor activity to help you remain active, it?s also a great way to eat a little healthier. Community gardens are great to bring a neighborhood together, help the environment, and reap the health benefits of staying active and eating more veggies.
As fall approaches, the gardening season goes a bit dormant. However, that doesn’t mean you have to be completely done with planting things you?d like to eat. An indoor herb garden is a great way to keep your green thumb through fall and winter. This is a great tip to help you stay on a healthy track during fall because it encourages you to create healthy recipes to use your herbs in. Basil, chives, and parsley are just a few herbs that you can grow indoors for fall.
Stay in Season
When you?re considering what to make or what groceries to buy, be sure you?re focusing on fruits and veggies that are in season during the fall and winter. This will ensure that you?re eating the freshest food, but it?ll also help you to make seasonal items and challenge your cooking skills.
Pumpkins, squash, and cranberries are just a few of the in-season options you can stick with that?ll ensure you?re eating fresh foods. After all, the more you?re cooking, the less you?re eating out. Just be sure what you?re cooking is filled with fresh and healthy food and you?ll stay a little healthier this fall.
Use Healthy Baking Recipes
For many of us, the fall and winter months make us think about baking. The smell of cookies, sweets, and various comfort foods fill our memories. There?s a psychology to food that many of us find hard to overcome. It can be impossible to consider a fall without pumpkin pie or homemade cookies.
However, staying healthy doesn?t mean you have to cut out baking altogether. It just means you?ll have to find alternative ingredients to your favorite recipes or new, healthy baking recipes. Search Pinterest, ask your friends, or buy a new cookbook and find some new recipes. You can still make your old recipes ? just save them for special occasions.
Try Something New
Another great tip for eating healthy in the fall is to attempt some at home-cooking tricks you?ve never tried before. Challenge yourself by learning how to cook on a wood stove. This will ensure your recipe is filled with the basics and not too many extras. Plus, a fire is great for fall. You might also try making a recipe completely from scratch. This will ensure you know every single ingredient going into your meal and how healthy it is.
Another idea is to take your favorites and explore some new ways to make them healthy. For example, you could try to make your own zoodles out of zucchini, which can turn any high-carb meal into one packed with nutrition. Find some holiday freezer meals and give meal prepping a try if you haven?t already. Try a healthy new way to cook and find what you love.
This fall, focus on cooking at home and make sure what you’re cooking is something healthy. It can be easy to fall into casseroles, brownies, or pasta dishes that remind you of cozy indoor nights with family. If those old comfort foods you know and love aren?t the healthiest options, work to tweak the recipe or make something new. Just remember: soups and stews are great for fall and easy to turn into a healthy recipe. You can grow your own herbs indoors and focus on fruits and veggies that are in season to be sure you?re making recipes that are healthy and fresh. If you?re going to bake, find recipes for healthy treats. Or, try something completely new in order to challenge yourself. It might be the season to hibernate, but that doesn’t mean you have to fall into unhealthy cooking as a result.
