By Samantha Coffin, Health Coach and Office Manager
Fall is only 6 days away from being officially here! Are you starting to feel it in the air? The temperature is definitely starting to change and we are ready!
As the weather gets chilly, it is easy to crave more carbs while diving into sugar treats and comfort foods. Instead, why not find comfort in some immune-boosting fall superfoods? Here are some of our favorites:
Apples: An apple a day keeps the doctor away right? We love the fresh and baked. An apple can be cored and baked at 375ºF for about 30-45 minutes. We love adding a dollop of ghee, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom to ours. What will you add?
Kale: Kale makes a surge back into our lives after the hot summer months. We love adding this powerhouse leafy green to soups and chilis! It is really easy to disguise in these dishes for picky eaters too! Learn about all the superpowers of Kale on our Kale Yea blog!
Pumpkin: Does your mind automatically go to pumpkin pie? Well, it may be surprising but Pumpkin is actually a low-calorie nutrient-dense food when removed from the pie. Pumpkins are full of iron, zinc, and fiber and are high in vitamin C and beta carotene. Scroll to the end of the post for a Paleo Pumpkin Custard worth sharing with your family and friends this fall! (Psst, this is one of my all-time favorite paleo recipes.)
Pomegranate: Pomegranates are little powerhouses packed with fiber, protein, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, potassium and so much more. Our favorite ways to eat them? As they are! Or why not add them to the top of your almond butter toast! Better yet, make your toast out of sweet potatoes and hit a superfood home run!
Garlic: As you may know, garlic has been used medicinally for thousands of years. It has very few calories and trace amounts of just about everything we need, including manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C, selenium and fiber! Garlic can be added to just about any savory dish. We love fresh crushed garlic in a homemade salad dressing too! There are some great recipes over on our Elevate Your Salad Game blog.
Sweet potatoes: Potatoes often get misrepresented as a carb-dense food to stay away from. We disagree! Although it does contain carbs, we need them! And, this superfood is also packed with protein, fat, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, vitamin B6, potassium, pantothenic acid, copper and niacin! Phew! We love to add roasted sweet potatoes to power bowls in the fall to add some warmth to our meals. Thinly sliced and toasted, sweet potatoes also make a great toast alternative.
Cranberries: Cranberries and fall go together like peanut butter and jelly but many of us don’t use them much at all. Cranberries are widely known for helping with Urinary Tract infections and also are believed to help prevent stomach cancer and ulcers. Try adding sugar-free dried cranberries to a harvest salad, or making homemade cranberry sauce with maple syrup instead of sugar. We plan on mixing up some Cranberry Pomegranate mocktails this fall with cranberry jun (or kombucha), pomegranate juice, fresh ginger, rosemary, and cranberries!
Paleo Pumpkin Custard
Ingredients:
1 can of full-fat coconut milk
1 can organic pumpkin puree
1/2 cup chopped raw pecans (can use other nuts)
2 very ripe bananas
3 tbsp almond meal (or 1.5 tbsp coconut flour + 1 egg)
4 eggs
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (recipe here)
Directions:
Preheat over to 350ºF
Combined all the ingredients, except the nuts
Place mixture into a 13x9 baking dish
Sprinkle with chopped pecans
Bake for 45 minutes
Serve warm or chilled
When chilled, it has more of the consistency of custard, but both are delicious! Give it a try and let us know what you think.