Autumn is a transition season marking the shift from the hazy days of the hot summer months to the cool if not cold months of winter.
The shifts that accompany the changing seasons are many and can leave an impact on your wellness. As the days get shorter there is also less light available, a fact that may contribute to low energy and mood.
Did you know? The human body naturally makes a shift towards an insulin resistant state, a natural adaptation that supports our system to be more energy efficient.
These transitions can be challenging.
As a young teacher one thing I learned about handling students in the classroom, especially younger children, is that transitions are among the most difficult things for kids to manage. A classroom environment is very different from the home environment and this brings with it anxiety, confusion and even tears.
The best way to support shifts in the classroom environment is to create a schedule for the day’s events. Listing the times and activities that will occur during the day helps everyone prepare more effectively. Without surprises, kiddos and teachers do a better job of showing up.
Autumn’s job is to introduce us to winter. Autumn is also a transitional period, with its own accompanying challenges. Just as with school children, creating a schedule can help you make a smooth transition.
Your job is to be an optimally well person so you can show up strong for yourself and your loved ones. Showing up strong involves Eating Clean, Exercise and Emotional Self-care.
Nutritionally speaking it’s important to serve yourself a menu that’s strong on nutrients, complete with regard to protein, carbs and fats and tastes delicious. Sticking with foods in season, like pumpkins, squashes, apples and more of the harvest foods delivers the best of this time of year. Harvest foods are at their nutritional peak, loaded with the goodness the sun, earth, winds and water have to deliver.
The recipes I’ve created below are Eat Clean, budget friendly, nutrient dense options you’ll love to have at your fingertips to support your autumnal transition.
Leek And Potato Soup
The French know a bit about cuisine but they also know something about food that tastes superb while also keeping the waistline slim. Leek and Potato Soup is one of these dishes.
Spotlighting high fiber leeks and vitamin and mineral rich potatoes, the soup satisfies thanks to its creamy texture. Nothing says comfort so much as a bowl of this silky soup.
Why do the French – and so many waistline conscientious people – love Leek and Potato Soup so much? It’s loaded with inulin, a prebiotic food that reduces inflammation, tummy bloating and eases bowel emptying. I know! It’s not glamorous but it is necessary.
You’ll thank me for this tip.
Leek and Potato Soup
This delightful dish is a timeless gem plucked straight from the pages of The Eat Clean Diet cookbook. It's a bowl of pure comfort, lovingly crafted to nourish your body and soul.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and thinly sliced
- 3 small zucchini, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- 1 russet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 4 cups reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 1/2 tsp pink Himalyan salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Snipped fresh chives, to garnish
Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the leeks and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the zucchini, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and cook 2 minutes.
2. Add the potato and stock. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes until vegetables are tender.
3. Using an immersion blender, food processor, or stand blender, blend soup until very smooth, working in batches if necessary. Add lemon juice, taste and make any final adjustments to seasoning with salt and pepper.
4. Ladle into bowls and top with fresh chives. Delicious served hot or cold.
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Butternut Squash Fennel Sausage Farro Risotto
Don’t call me lazy, call me efficient. I like to put every macronutrient into one dish, knock out the flavors and still have a gorgeous result.
Some dishes look like vom on a plate. Not this one. The texture of the risotto played against the bright orange squash and rich sausage just feels like a dish you want to eat. Filled with goodness for the palate as well as the soul, make it next Friday and snuggle in with a good movie too.
Butternut Squash, Fennel Sausage, Farro Risotto
Indulge in a culinary experience that'll make you feel like a 5-star chef. Our hearty and nutritious meal is a treat for your taste buds and a powerhouse of essential vitamins and nutrients.
Ingredients
- 2 cups butternut squash, cubed
- 4 cups bone broth (homemade) or chicken stock or water
- 3 Tbsp avocado or coconut oil
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
- 2 cups cracked farro
- 4 medium sized organic fennel sausages (turkey is nice)
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp pink Himalayan salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
1. Bring water to a boil.
2. Place farro in a heat proof bowl and cover generously with boiling water.
3. Set aside.
4. Meanwhile, in another small sauce pan, heat broth or water on low.
5. In a medium to large Dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pan, heat the oil.
6. Add chopped onion and sauté for 5 minutes until fragrant.
7. Add garlic and heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
8. Add cubed squash and continue to cook for 5 minutes.
9. Add farro and stir to coat well with oil.
10. Add lemon juice and cook for 5 minutes.
11. Add 1 to 2 cups heated broth to farro mixture and stir through.
12. Cook until liquid is absorbed, over medium low heat.
13. Add sage and turmeric and add more broth as needed.
14. Farro has an amazing capacity to absorb liquid.
15. While farro mixture is cooking, cook sausages in a separate pan.
16. Chop the sausage into 1/2” rounds and add to farro mixture.
17. Adjust mixture for liquid adding more broth as needed.
18. Taste the farro. It should be al dente, not soggy.
19. Season with salt and pepper.
20. Serve hot, with more fresh sage leaves on top for garnish.
Clean Pumpkin Spice Latté
Autumn is Pumpkin Spice Latté season. The arrival of this coffee offering tells you it’s time to ditch your tank top and find a sweater. Personally I love that you can drink a pumpkin flavored hot beverage because you can do pretty much everything else with a pumpkin so why not this too?
The difference here is that this version isn’t doused in sugar (unless you toss it in). It’s a clean, delicious coffee based beverage that signals autumn. Sip on!
Clean Pumpkin Spice Latte
Typical coffee shop versions often contain a LOOOOOOOT of sugar and processed stuff that can leave you feeling ‘ugh’ afterward. Try this Eat Clean spin on a fall classic.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp ground Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 4 Tbsp ground coffee
- 2½ cups water
- 1 cup almond milk + 1 cup coconut milk, heated
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
Instructions
1. Combine Pumpkin Pie Spice with coffee and water and brew as normal. I like to do it in a French Press.
2. Place coffee mixture into Vita-Mix along with remaining ingredients.
3. Process until frothy.
4. Divide between two cups.
5. Garnish with a cinnamon stick if desired. Enjoy hot!
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Food can be your best friend, especially when you keep it clean, in season and on point.
Harvest on friends!
Love and light,
Tosca
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