As the leaves begin to change colors and the temperature slowly starts to decline, that can only mean one thing – FALL has arrived! Time to trade in our short shorts and summer drinks for pants, zip-ups and of course Autumn’s fabulous fruits and veggies now at their peak! To stay fit, healthy, and enjoy this great season – try these 5 Fun Fall Activities:
Go Picking – that is for apples and pumpkins! Spend some quality time with family and friends at the nearest orchards or farms and pick out the best apples and pumpkins you can find! While you’re there, enjoy a nice hay ride, squeeze in some exercise by walking around the grounds, and grab a cup of hot apple cider. Afterwards carve out your pumpkin but don’t throw away your seeds! Save them to make Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, just follow these directions:
1. Rinse pumpkin seeds under cold water and pick out the pulp and strings
2. Place seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with non-stick cooking spray
3. Sprinkle with salt and bake at 350F until toasted, about 25 minutes, checking and stirring after 10 minutes
4. Let cool and store in an air-tight container
Visit your Local Farmers Market – Fall offers a great selection of fruits and veggies that are packed with nutrients, antioxidants, and of course flavor. Some favorite Fall foods include:
1. Root vegetables: carrots, parsnips, beets, rutabagas, turnips, yams, sweet potatoes
2. Squash & Gourds: winter squash, acorn squash, butternut squash, pumpkin
3. The Cabbage Family: cabbage, collards, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, swiss chard
4. Fruits: apples, pears, pomegranates, dates, grapes, figs, cranberries
Enjoy the Foliage – the numerous colors of the leaves provides the perfect background for a refreshing walk, hike, or bike ride on one of Fall’s many cool, crisp days. Bring a camera to capture all the Fall foliage! Make a home-made energy bar to take with you!
Bake! – bet you didn’t think this would be included! But Fall provides the perfect fruits and veggies for baking and nothing takes the chill out of the house or fills a home with better scents than your oven! Search the internet or look in cook books for lower calorie and healthier recipes featuring your favorite fall foods such as:
1. Apples for apple pie, apple crisp, or baked apples
2. Pumpkin for pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread
3. Squash for baked acorn or butternut squash
Go on a Picnic! – This is the last time to enjoy the cool, crisp weather before the temperatures really drop. Grab your hoodies and blankets and bundle up with family and friends. Enjoy a nice spread of the fall foods you picked up from your local farmers market and baked in the oven! You’ll have one delicious and nutritious picnic!
Research provided by Marsi Shapiro [1]
[2]