Finally Fall!

The air is getting crisp, leaves are changing and it seems like you smell cinnamon and pumpkin spice everywhere you go! You know what that means, fall is here! Get the most out of this season by planning fun activities for you and your family and putting a healthy twist on classic fall treats!

Festive Fall Activities

With the hot, humid summer weather going away, it’s finally becoming bearable to be outside again! Here are some activities that are perfect for the fall weather and will give you the opportunity to enjoy the colorful leaves changing.

Hiking – a perfect activity to destress, enjoy the outdoors and getting in some exercise.

Apple Picking – one of the best fall activities to do! You can spend all day outside walking around and picking delicious, crisp, ripe apples. Then you can go home and create healthy, fun recipes with all the apples you bought!

Create a quick healthy apple bake by cutting up an apple, put it in a bowl, top it with cinnamon and a drizzle of honey, microwave for 2 minutes and enjoy by itself or on top of your whole wheat pancakes!

Pumpkin Picking – a great, traditional fall activity! You can decorate the pumpkins and leave them out on your front porch or window. Don’t forget to take out all the seeds and roast them in the oven, they make a delicious snack and can be added to your salads, yogurt, oatmeal or trail mix! You can also make homemade pumpkin pie, YUM!

If you want to use your pumpkins for decoration, go to the supermarket and pick up pureed pumpkin. Pure pumpkin is a naturally fat free food and is high in vitamins A and C. You can add it into almost everything. Replace the oils in your favorite recipe with pureed pumpkin for less fat and an extra vitamin boost!

Corn Mazes – a fun way to get outside and be active. They can be found in pumpkin patches and apple farms so you can enjoy both activities together!

Pumpkin Spice

During fall it seems like everything in the store and coffee shops is pumpkin spice flavored. But look closely at many of these products and you will find that many are packed with sugar and preservatives and might not even contain pumpkin!

If you want to make anything pumpkin spice flavored, you can do it naturally by adding a little bit of pumpkin puree, cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg. Or you can buy a jar of pumpkin pie spice in your supermarket for a quicker pumpkin spice fix!

In-season Fruits and Vegetables

With a new season starting comes new fruits and vegetables that are at their peak. Here is a list of some fruits and veggies that are in-season September-November that you can enjoy!