Fall, scarlet and gray… what comes to mind? Our beloved Buckeyes! Or maybe for some, the deep scarlet of fall leaves and the unpredictable cool, crisp, gray days in the fall. Both, sensational reasons to love Ohio in the fall. We’d love to add nutrition to these fall sensations. When you think of these fall favorites, also think – food! seasonal favorites! eating well! eating colors! eating local!
Edible Columbus
Gearing up for this feature I called Tricia Wheeler, editor of Edible Columbus to pick her brain about food, nutrition and her fall favorites. Her advice for all us – “get out and explore your community and explore the wonderful resources available to help eat well and eat locally (farmers markets almost every day of the week, local grocers offering locally sourced food, try new things, attend cooking classes).”
Edible Columbus is a local publication that “focuses on local, sustainable food sources and the people who work the land to bring this bounty to our tables.” For a wealth of great information, recipes, stories, ideas and local resources we strongly recommend checking out their website and their online editions (click on the magazine on the right side of their page for a very cool and interactive e-read!) If food intrigues, excites or even moderately interests you, we promise this will be well worth your time.
Rekindle your love for food this fall
Most Americans have a strong affliction towards food in some way. Unfortunately, too often its not a healthy relationship. We love the idea of loving food and… we encourage you to continue to explore and grow your healthy relationship with food this fall. Where ever you buy it, what ever you buy… use it to your advantage! Use food to bring people together, use it for fun, use it to explore, use it to fuel and power a thriving lifestyle, use it to prevent [colds, disease, injury].
1) Have fun and explore this fall!
– Here are a few fun ideas from FLIP’s dietitian, Leslie Edmunds: “Get out and enjoy the smell/sights of fall. Go on a walk at halftime of a football game, visit a pumpkin patch with family, go on a hike at your local park, visit a local festival (and skip on the calorie laden treats, ha).” Check out Leslie’s blog for great recipes like this seasonal fav: sweet potato, black bean chili.
– Tricia has similar advice: “make it a goal this fall to explore farmers markets and festivals in your area. Ask the growers/sellers lots of questions about local food.”
2) Try new things!
It’s apple season! Visit local orchards. Try a new variety of apple each week. – Tricia
Try new healthy fall recipes. Check out a few more seasonal recipes from Edible Columbus
Take a food challenge. Try the 100 days of real food challenge – Leslie
Take a cooking class near you.
3) Eat up!
Eat conveniently. Want to get fresh, natural, local produce, eggs and meat delivered right to your doorstep? Check out Grean BEAN Delivery. We use them every week, and they are very reliable!
Eat proud. Check out Ohio Proud to find a Farmer’s Market in your area and to learn more about supporting Ohio’s great farmers!
Eat Wild. Check out Eat Wild for your guide to pasture-raised food near you.
Eat Fish. Seafood is a delicious and nutrient packed alternative to red meat. But which fish should we eat? This great resource from eatingwell.com provides a list of 6 seafood options to eat and 6 options to avoid.
Eat well. No matter where you decide to get your food… the most important thing is to make sure you are selecting the right food. The preventative guidelines we follow suggest loading your plate 2/3 with veggies, fruits, whole grains and beans. Here are some great foods to stock up on: Foods that fight cancer from AICR; The Mayo Clinic provides our favorite “top 10 list” for best foods; The 10 best foods you aren’t eating from Men’s Health.