After the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables all summer long, fall might seem lacking in variety. However, with a little research, there are some great fresh fruits and vegetables that are at the peak of flavor and nutrition in the colder months. Not only do they taste better, many of them are grown locally, and local produce is always a great choice. If it’s not shipped in, odds are pretty good that the fruit is more fresh and it’s also a great option to keep your food budget in check, a win-win situation. Add these cold weather choices to your meals for great taste and exceptional benefits to your diet.
1. Apples – Studies have shown that apples can help lower cholesterol, manage diabetes, and prevent several diseases, including cancer. Apples peak in the fall, and the flavor can’t be beat. They are full of fiber, around 5 grams per fruit, and are comparatively low in calories.
The weather is cooling off, and now is the perfect time to get out there and exercise. It’s so much easier to run, walk, bike or skate when it’s not a million degrees out with 500% humidity. Fall is my favorite season, and one of the greatest things about fall is eating home style soups, stews and the like.
What do those three sentences have in common and how can you use that commonality to your advantage while pursuing healthy eating? Both call for easy, hearty meals, and both can be resolved with my greatest kitchen friend – the slow cooker. Thick, rich, hearty soups and stews are comforting and filling, and can be made inexpensively – always a bonus in these tough economic times.
When you think of soup, do you think of a health food or a heart attack? Believe it or not, most people consider soups to be more harmful to health than beneficial. But I’m here to help soup reach its full potential and earn its way back on your “health hero” list. In this post, I’ll explain the pros and cons of soups and I’ll show you how you can enjoy a bowl of healthful goodness no matter what your time availability or cooking skill level.
The Pro: A nutrition boost! Soups can be a wonderful way to get more veggies, fiber, and plant-based protein in your diet. Soups made with low-sodium broth, veggies, beans, and lean protein have a lot of nutrition to offer for 100-200 calories per serving.
The Con: Most people worry about the sodium content of soups so they avoid them altogether. The reality is you have room in your sodium “bank account” for about 600-700mg of salt per meal. If you generally eat a healthy breakfast and lunch then you have room for a soup-salad combo at dinnertime every once in awhile.
As we all soak-up this last weekend of summer, we’re also anxiously ushering in the new fall season. And that means one thing – football! This Saturday is the kick-off to college football, and that means stadium parking lots and backyards alike will be fired-up with team spirit and plenty of food. As our dietitian explains, it is possible to socialize without blowing your diet, and without feeling deprived.
So as you grocery shop for snacks and cookout grub, consider some of these healthy tailgating recipes and food swaps. Odds are, they’ll taste better and no one will recognize the difference as they polish off a platter of leaner foods.
Tailgating Food Swaps
- Pork Bratwurst for Turkey Brats: It’s a difference of 450 calories and 37 grams of fat for the pork, versus 160 calories and 9 grams of fat for the turkey. Still boil in beer and soak in mustard and they’re really quite tasty.
Well, Fall has officially arrived which makes it even harder to be physically active. I love running outside, but the cold weather and wet days put a damper on that; so I have to adapt and plan my workouts inside. Today I am going to talk about a few activities and ways to modify your workouts to beat the Fall season. First, I want to discuss a few Fall activities and the calories expended during each one.
1. Fall means tons of beautifully colored leaves all over your yard and raking the leaves is a must do and a fairly decent exercise as well. A 150 pound person would roughly burn around 225 calories an hour while raking leaves.
2. Another Fall activity is maybe going to a corn maze, a nice long hike through the woods or through a local park. These activities are similar to walking on the treadmill, but add a spice and prevent boredom. An hour of these activities burns around 333 calories for an 150 pound person.
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