Fall can be stressful, with school and work starting while staying healthy! So sticking with simple seasonal meals becomes an excellent idea for this busy time of the year!
The fall season brings in a variety of food options for cooking dinner for yourself or the family. Fresh seasonal produce and spices become available, adding fantastic taste and flavor to the meals you are preparing!
Preparing Foods
First, to save you some time during the week, it would be helpful to look at the upcoming week’s recipes over the weekend. You also want to make sure you have all the ingredients that you need before cooking! Not only will you save some time in the kitchen by being prepared, but you will also save your sanity. Nothing is worse than getting started on a recipe to only find out halfway through the cooking process that you are missing one or two components!
Tip for a faster and more efficient way of cooking
- Lay and measure all your ingredients out before cooking
- Pre-roast vegetables and pre-cut some foods during the weekend
- Batch roast vegetables
- Preserve your pre-cut fruits and vegetables in the fridge or freezer
- Batch make rice or grains for the week
- Buy in season
Seasonal foods
One way to make preparing dinner easier and efficient is by knowing what foods are in season. Knowing what fruits and vegetables you will be using in your meals will give you a better idea of what you will be making for dinner.
Creating a grocery list for the items needed for the week’s recipes can help you stay on track with what you need to purchase and can help you save some money!
Below are a few common seasonal fruits, vegetables, and seasonings that can be added to your fall grocery list!
You can click on each of them to find more information and nutrition.
Fruits
My favorite fall vegetables are Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, simple carrots, and spaghetti squash.
Brussel sprouts are easy vegetables to prepare because they are low maintenance. All you have to do is toss them in some oil, season, and roast! You can pair Brussels sprouts with sweet potatoes or as a side dish and eat by themselves!
Health Benefits of Brussel Sprouts
- Brussel sprouts are great for our health and contain many benefits
- High in Vitamin C & K
- High in fiber
- Rich in antioxidants
- Contains ALA Omega-3 Fatty Acids (plant-based omega-3 source)
Fall is a great time to make warm dishes and soups to accommodate the cozy weather. Try experimenting with sweet potatoes and carrots. Both carrots and sweet potatoes are root vegetables and contain many nutrients!
What’s so special about them?
- Rich in antioxidants
- High insolublefiber, that helps to absorb water and increase bowel movement
- High inVitamin A, which is beneficial for eyesight
- Contains anti-inflammatory properties; anthocyanins
For example, the sweet potato carrot soup would make a great alternative to a butternut squash soup. You get the best of both worlds with this soup! One, it’s filled with A LOT of beta-carotene from carrots and sweet potatoes. The cozy soup can be made during the weekend as a part of weekly meal prep. Store it refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Spaghetti squash is one of my favorite autumn vegetables.
First, it comes with a significant reduction of calories and has many health benefits along with flavor! Spaghetti squash is the way to go if you are looking for a low-calorie and high fiber pasta alternative.
Spaghetti squash belongs to the same family as squash, zucchini, and pumpkin. One medium spaghetti squash contains roughly 42 calories per cup, 10 grams of carbs, and 2.2 grams of fiber. If we look at a package of spaghetti noodles, we are looking at roughly 200 calories per serving with eight 2oz servings.
Spaghetti squash is a fast and easy meal to prepare! And this simple spaghetti squash with spinach is a great healthy weeknight dinner!
Not only is this a nutrient-dense meal, but it is tasty too! Squash has many great health benefits, similar to some of the fall foods mentioned above.
Since squash is a part of the beta carotene family, it contains the same benefits!
- High in vitamin A
- Reduces inflammation
- Boost immune system
- Helps prevent infections
Balancing life and eating healthy does not have to be as hard as many think. With a bit of preparation and guidance, you will be able to provide a nutrient-dense meal for you and your family to enjoy.
Happy Fall Cooking from Elena!
