One of my favorite parts of seasonal living is paying attention to what foods are naturally available throughout the year. Fall brings so many hearty, nourishing whole foods that work perfectly for cooler days.
Think squash, sweet potatoes, apples, pears, warm oatmeal, soups, roasted vegetables, whole grains, and warming spices.
You don’t need to completely change the way you eat when fall arrives. But adding more seasonal whole foods can bring some variety to your meals while helping you build meals that are filling, nourishing, and satisfying.
If you’re looking for a little inspiration for your next grocery trip, here are some healthy foods to add to your fall rotation.
Fall Vegetables
Fall is a great season for hearty vegetables, especially the ones that taste amazing roasted or added to soups and stews.
Some to look for include:
- Sweet potatoes
- Carrots
- Beets
- Butternut squash
- Acorn squash
- Pumpkin
- Brussels sprouts
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Broccoli
- Kale
Try roasting a big sheet pan of vegetables for the week, adding squash to soup, making mashed sweet potatoes with dinner, or tossing Brussels sprouts into the oven with a little olive oil and seasoning.
It doesn’t have to be complicated.
Fall Fruits
We usually think about summer when we think about fresh fruit, but fall has plenty of good options too.
Look for:
- Apples
- Pears
- Grapes
- Cranberries
- Pomegranates
- Persimmons
Apples and pears are especially easy to keep around for snacks. Pair them with nuts, cheese, yogurt, or nut butter to make them a little more filling.
You can also add fall fruit to oatmeal, yogurt bowls, salads, smoothies, or baked dishes.
Whole Grains
Cooler mornings are when warm grains really start sounding good again.
Oats are an obvious fall favorite, but you can also rotate in:
- Brown rice
- Quinoa
- Barley
- Farro
- Whole-grain bread
- Whole-grain pasta
These can become the base of easy bowls, soups, breakfasts, and side dishes.
A warm bowl of oatmeal with apples, cinnamon, walnuts, and a little maple syrup? That’s fall breakfast right there.
Don’t Forget Your Protein
Seasonal eating doesn’t mean your entire plate needs to come from the produce section.
Continue building meals around protein sources you already enjoy, such as chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, beans, lentils, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, nuts, and seeds.
One easy way to think about your meals is to combine produce + protein + a satisfying carbohydrate + healthy fat.
That could be roasted sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts with salmon. A bowl of chili with beans and ground turkey. Oatmeal with fruit and nuts. Or chicken soup loaded with vegetables and served with whole-grain bread.
Keep it simple.
Bring Out the Fall Spices
You don’t need a pumpkin spice latte to enjoy fall spices.
Keep things like these around:
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Nutmeg
- Cloves
- Turmeric
Add cinnamon to oatmeal or apples, ginger to tea and soups, or use a combination of warming spices when cooking squash, sweet potatoes, curries, and other fall meals.
Sometimes changing the season of your meals is as simple as changing the flavors you’re using.
Keep Drinking Your Water
This is one of those things that’s easy to forget once it isn’t 90 degrees outside.
Your body still needs water in the fall.
If cold water becomes less appealing, try warm herbal tea, hot water with lemon, broth-based soups, or naturally flavored water. Keeping a water bottle nearby can also help you remember to drink throughout the day.
Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to suddenly remember water exists.
Easy Fall Snack Ideas
Your snacks can shift with the season too.
Try:
- Apple slices with peanut or almond butter
- Pear and cheese
- Greek yogurt with apples and cinnamon
- Roasted pumpkin seeds
- Carrots with hummus
- Grapes and walnuts
- Homemade oatmeal bites
- Popcorn with nuts or seeds
- Apple slices with cheese and whole-grain crackers
You don’t need special “fall snacks.” You’re simply taking familiar foods and using some of what’s in season.
Build a Simple Fall Plate
You don’t need to overthink healthy eating.
Start with vegetables or fruit, add a protein source, include a satisfying carbohydrate, and add some healthy fat.
Then make it taste good.
Fall is perfect for sheet-pan dinners, soups, chili, grain bowls, roasted vegetables, slow-cooker meals, and warm breakfasts. These are meals that can be nourishing without requiring you to spend your entire evening in the kitchen.
And comfort food absolutely still belongs in your life.
Healthy eating isn’t about making every meal perfect. It’s about creating an overall way of eating that nourishes your body and is realistic enough to actually live with.
Eat With the Season
Seasonal eating doesn’t need to become another set of rules.
Go to the grocery store or farmers market and simply notice what’s showing up. Try a squash you’ve never cooked before. Buy the apples that are finally in season. Make soup because it’s cold outside. Add cinnamon to your breakfast because it sounds good.
Let food be another way you experience the season you’re living in.
Want a Little Support?
Creating a healthier lifestyle isn’t about changing everything overnight. Sometimes it’s about figuring out which small changes actually make sense for your life and learning how to make them stick.
Through LJ Lifestyle coaching, we can look at where you are now, where you want to go, and the practical habits, routines, and systems that can help you create a healthier, more intentional lifestyle.
LaToya
LJ Lifestyle
Quick Links: Coaching • Shop Digital Products • Cruise & Vacation Planning • Join Me on Heartbeat • Follow on Pinterest • Subscribe on YouTube
Leave a Reply