Fall is all about spices and hearty foods like cinnamon, pumpkin, and apple.
These foods provide fiber, vitamins, and potassium.
Experts say you should avoid added sugar
“If you want to eat whole pumpkin, perfect, but there is no benefit for anything that has a pumpkin flavor,” said Tammy Karni of Simply Nutrition Houston.
The reason for avoiding pumpkin flavor is because it normally contains too much sugar.
For a spicy warm drink, opt for something like chai tea but avoid added sugar and sweeteners. The tea by itself is Karni’s preferred way to drink chai tea.
Comfort foods
Eating chickpea pasta in replacement of regular pasta can provide more fiber that will keep you full longer and keeps blood sugar stable.
Spices
Turmeric provides anti-inflammatory benefits.
“What activates it is pepper, black pepper, but also you need a fat. It’s a fat-soluble substance,” Karni explained how she mixes the two in dishes. “So, I put olive oil and then I put pepper and then I put turmeric because you need turmeric to absorb the active ingredient which is curcumin.”
Tomatoes can add immune-boosting benefits to dishes but the lycopene in tomatoes need a fat source in order for your body to get the most out of it.
Cinnamon as a sweetener is a good choice. Beware of words like ‘cinnamon sugar’ and ‘pumpkin spice mix,’ which usually means it has fillers mixed in that make them less healthy, according to Karni.