30+ Cozy Fall Meals That Help Avoid Winter Weight Gain -

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Fall is in the air! The leaves are turning shades of red, yellow, and orange. It's time to cozy up with pumpkin spice lattes next to a fireplace or around an open fire pit. Fall means pumpkin patches, hayrides, and apple picking too. If you're not careful, this season can be a slippery slope leading straight into winter weight gain.

It's so easy to get off track with dieting. As the holidays approach, there are tons of Cozy Fall Meals that we all want to indulge in and if you're not careful enough about what you eat now, your waistline might expand! We are so lucky to have the internet at our fingertips, providing many recipes that will keep us feeling indulged without all those pesky calories from unhealthy sugars and fats.

Healthy fall recipes should be made with nutrient-rich ingredients like healthy oils, whole grains, and fresh produce that will keep you feeling satisfied for hours while maintaining healthy weight loss progress!

Table of Contents

A sample healthy fall meal plan for weight maintenance:

Breakfast - Pumpkin Bread with Fruit Compote or Whole Wheat Pancakes topped with fruit or Protein shake with greens or eggs on a salad.

Lunch - Lentil and Vegetable Soup, a green salad, whole-grain crackers, and cheese or with whole-wheat toast topped with avocado smashed onto it, healthy dips, or fruit.

Dinner - Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple Soup served over brown rice pasta (using gluten-free noodles if needed), Red Cabbage Slaw tossed in apple cider vinegar dressing. Finish the meal off with low-fat pumpkin pie! Or, Grilled chicken breast served over brown rice pasta (using gluten-free noodles if needed) mixed together in the same bowl along with steamed broccoli and roasted cauliflower sprinkled liberally with nutritional yeast to add healthy B vitamins and protein that's easy to digest. Finish the meal off by adding some fresh spinach leaves sautéed in olive oil! In between meals - healthy snacks like celery sticks dipped into peanut butter, hummus wrapped around cucumbers, and healthy protein bars that can be eaten on the go without the worry of ruining your healthy meal plan!

In between meals - healthy snacks like celery sticks dipped into peanut butter, hummus wrapped around cucumbers to make healthy veggie dips, and protein bars that can be eaten on the go without the worry of ruining your healthy meal plan!

Tips for healthy fall eating:

- Avoid processed and refined sugars where possible, opting instead for natural sweeteners like honey or pure maple syrup.

- Cook with healthy oils such as olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil to add healthy fats into your diet while limiting saturated fat content from red meat.

- Balance protein sources (lean meats, eggs) with complex carbohydrates (whole grains).

- Be mindful of portion sizes - enjoy a serving size of the food you're craving without going overboard! One cup is typically a good starting point even if it's not what we would call a "normal" sized serving in other parts of our life. We can't undo all that indulgence after one meal!

- Keep healthy snacks on hand to avoid those sugar cravings that will derail the healthy meal plan.

- When possible, choose produce in season - you'll likely get a better price and they're more nutrient-dense than their off-season counterparts!

Tips for Party Hosting

- Serve healthy snacks like fruit, nuts, or veggies before a meal at an event, and make sure to include healthy options that everyone will enjoy.

- Provide healthy alternatives for alcohol if you're serving it as well - think about a lower calorie drink option such as seltzer with lime instead of a sugar-laden cocktail.

- Make healthy desserts available without any extra guilt! Offer them up in moderation so guests don't feel the need to eat their way through everything. Bake some cookies that are healthier than others (i.e., made from gluten-free flour) or offer fruits dipped in chocolate sauce instead of a traditional cake with frosting on top."}

Fall is less about dieting and more about embracing everything this beautiful time of year has to offer. Embrace your favorite fall indulgences by using these healthy recipes as substitutions or additions to help maintain healthy weight loss progress through all the tempting food choices coming up for Thanksgiving dinner too! You deserve it after working hard all month long with your workout routine 😊 Here are some of our best healthy fall meals: