Healthy eating is easy to do. It’s also delicious and does NOT have to be boring. Plus, with the change of seasons, you always have something fresh and seasonal to add to your meals.
With fall comes football, colder days with less and less daylight, and back to school with the holidays looming. We are all busier than ever. But that doesn’t mean we should skip on our health life.
Here are some healthy eating tips for the fall, that will help you stay on track during this busy and fun season, and still allow you to love all there is to love about the fall.
Pay Attention
Tip number one for fall is to pay attention to what you’re eating. Choose fresh, seasonal foods like apples, pears, and grapes for snacks. For dinners, add in squash or sweet potatoes as sides and gain lots of flavor and nutrition. Watch your serving sizes, no matter what you eat, and keep eating out and over snacking at bay.
Soups
Who doesn’t love soup during the fall? It’s such a great staple to enjoy as the days get cooler and for an extra healthy, and delicious meal, have a salad with your soup! Choose broth-based, vegetable filled soups to warm you up without filling you out.
Stews
Stews are soup’s thicker, heartier cousins. Yum! Use lots of vegetables and keep meats and potatoes proportionate in your stews. Add lots of beef or chicken broth and some corn starch to thicken it up. Your bowl of stew will feel luxurious and extra indulgent.
No Eating and Watching
Mindless eating leads to packing on the pounds, so don’t do it. If you’re eating something, make that be the only thing you’re doing. Don’t sit and eat with an open bag of chips while indulging in Netflix. Or if you want to have a snack with your favorite show or your Redbox movie, then portion it out before you sit down to eat it.
Portion
If you’re going to have a snack, take the food out of its original packaging and use a small dish to help you control how much you’re having. This goes for breakfast, dinner, lunch, dessert, and anything and everything you’re eating. A portion of meat should only be the size of a deck of cards. A serving of chips is usually only about 12-15 chips. You can enjoy foods you want, healthfully, if you eat them in their suggested serving size. And on another note, indulging in your favorite snack or dessert is ok every once in a while, but don’t make it a daily habit!
Pack Your Lunch
And pack it good. Vegetables and fruits should make up at least half of your plate, and for that matter, your diet. Add roasted lean meats and a good carb, like sweet potato, rice, or quinoa and your body will thank you for it! (Plus you won’t feel that afternoon slump thanks to staying away from heavy breads, pastas, or other calorie and carb-filled foods.)
Fall is my favorite season and I love to enjoy it! The leaves change color, and the colder temps are perfect for hikes and outside activity. Remember that eating well is more than half of what keeps you healthy, but moving and staying active is also essential. Happy Fall All!
