Creating a Healthy Fall Meal Plan
One of the keys to eating a healthy diet is creating a meal plan. Planning your meals lets you prepare some aspects of them in advance, saving time when you’re busy. A set schedule also helps when you’re grocery shopping, saving you time and ensuring you’ll always have foods available for dinner. Plus, having a plan makes it much more likely that you’ll cook foods at home, which is a lot healthier than going to a restaurant or fast food place.
Here are some tips for creating a meal plan this fall.
Shop in Season
During the fall, lots of delicious produce is in season. Buying local seasonal produce doesn’t just save you money (which it often does) but it also gets you fresher produce that tastes better is is more nutritious. So what’s in season during the fall? This depends on where you live, but common fall foods include:
- Apples
- Beets
- Cabbage
- Pears
- Pomegranates
- Pumpkins
- Sweet potatoes
- Squash
When you shop in season, you are able to afford a greater variety, which expands the number of recipes you can make.
Use a Slow Cooker
A slow cooker can be a great way to make meals. You only need to do a bit of prep work in the morning (or the night before) and then let the ingredients cook during the day. These meals are great for the fall since they’re hearty, warm, and nutritious. Soups, stews, chili, and various other meals can be easily prepared in a slow cooker with healthy ingredients.
Prepare in Advance
Once you have a meal plan in place, you can do some advanced preparation. Wash and chop fruits and vegetables all at once so they’re ready for the week. This will help speed up the process when you’re cooking dinner after work.
Think of Leftovers
A meal made
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