What’s the best part of fall? The leaves, the cooler weather, the Halloween festivities? We say it’s the food. Fall brings comfort food cravings, but there’s also a wealth of tasty, seasonal produce available. The MYXfitness coaches share their favorite fall foods to help you stay healthy.
Q: How do you shift your nutrition from summer to fall with seasonal produce?
Shaun: I tend to do a lot of cardio in the fall and winter. It’s usually my time to prepare for the spring marathon season. I lean to hearty, dense leafy greens and increase my overall carb consumption.
Bri: I shift from cold salads to warm salads. My warm salads include a lot of carrots, cabbage, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, eggplant, zucchini, and different types of squash.
Jesse: When summer turns to fall, I like to eat cold-weather veggies like squash and pumpkin. I seek out the best organic year-round fruit at the grocery store and farmer’s market because I like to eat local. Quality bananas, apples, pears, and oranges are usually available thanks to modern-day transportation.
Q: What are your fall go-to foods?
Shaun: Fall has some of my favorite produce options. Though some of these items I have year-round, they are so much better when they’re in their proper season. I prefer fresh arugula and kale in the fall as opposed to frozen. While potatoes are great anytime, I lean towards sweet potatoes as a fall alternative. Also, fall season fruits mean everything apple: apple cider, apple pie, and apple crisps.
Bri: I like to introduce more broccoli, apples, and spinach into my warm salads. My go-to fall meals are broccoli cheddar soup, pumpkin soup, eggplant parmesan boats, stewed apples with cinnamon, pan-fried Brussels sprouts with bacon, and cauliflower mash.
Jesse: I crave warm foods when the weather gets cold. Soups such as white-turkey chili with cannellini beans and kale, healthier spins on pasta dishes such as a chickpea alternative, and earthy veggies like sweet potatoes are some of my favorites. I also love lower-sugar versions of quick breads made with zucchini or pumpkin and a huge mug of hot tea. My morning staple is a big bowl of oats with mix-ins that include flaxseed powder, chia, peanut butter, and raisins. I am very cold-sensitive, so the more warmth I can get through food, the better. And I love pumpkin pie with whipped cream.
Thanks, coaches! We’re hungry already.
