Originally published on ElizabethStreet.com.
September is right around the corner! Those long, hot days of summer are almost a thing of the past, and some much-welcomed cooler fall weather is nigh. The kids are soon to be back in school, and?extracurricular activities?and homework assignments are in full swing, and Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas will be here before you know it.
Life simply gets busier and busier as fall turns into winter, and it can really throw a monkey wrench into the?best-laid nutrition?and?fitness plans?if you?re not careful.
Here are my top tips for a “No Fail Fall” that will help you get through fall?and winter, as well?without some ?extra baggage? when spring arrives. Let?s start with nutrition:
- Sip hot?tea?instead of sweetened beverages (hot cocoa, caramel macchiato, etc.) and shun some pretty major calories. Be adventurous?try something new!
- Eat lots of?seasonal fruits and vegetables, which are at their best this time of year. Some ideas: broccoli, brussel sprouts, zucchini and other winter squashes, cabbage, ?cauliflower, pumpkin, apples, oranges, grapes, pomegranates, cranberries, ?pears and more.
- When you?re really, really craving something sweet, opt for a healthy version. Try these out: Peanut Butter Fudge, Protein Carrot Cake Bars, and Heart-y Blueberry ?Oatmeal Muffins (all recipes in the slideshow!).
- Since life is busy, save yourself from that fast-food temptation by taking a few minutes each week to?make a flexible meal plan?that can be adapted to your continually changing schedule. Use your crockpot, simmer a vegetable-laden soup, plan for one meal?s meat dish to multi-task into meals for other days, and so forth.
- Do plan ahead and stock up on Halloween candy before the shelves are empty, but buy what you?don?t?like. That way, you won?t be tempted to ?eat just one.?
Check out my recipes for sweet, yet guilt-free treats in the slideshow above.
