Happy Fall! It’s that time of year where the weather starts getting colder, everyone gets a little busier and healthy eating may become a little harder to follow through with. That’s where meal prepping comes in. Meal planning and prepping ahead of time can help get you through busy times and feel energized, nourished and healthy through it all.  Fall is a great time to enjoy seasonal squash, root vegetables, delicious healthy goodies and hearty soups and stews.

no. 1

Roasting squash and root vegetables. Veggies like sweet potatoes, white potatoes, butternut squash, acorn squash, carrots and beets make hearty additions to meals and make great snacking dippers instead of processed chips. Simply chop any of your favorite root vegetables and squash, preheat oven to 400 F and bake for about 35-45 minutes, depending on the vegetable. I always use olive oil and spices like paprika, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to season. Store them in air tight containers to add to meals for the week to enjoy delicious fall themed meals like this roasted sweet potato salad.

no. 2

Prepare extra soups and stews and freeze for a later date. I love making a fall soup like this Autumn Spiced Crockpot Soup and making a bit extra to store in the freezer. Simply pour into freezer bag and flatten before freezing. This makes a great future lunch or dinner! I also love these soup ideas from Mindbodygreen that are anti-inflammatory and taste amazing.

no. 3

Baking. Yes, healthy baked goods can be a great part of a balanced diet! Making some banana bread or of course pumpkin bread during the fall is such a comforting breakfast or snack slathered with almond butter. I love making my baked goods with brown rice flour and oats, providing complex carbohydrates for slow releasing energy and packed with nutrition. Sweet potato is also a great carbohydrate to sneak into muffins or loaves and is chock full of Vitamin A and fiber. Freeze them for a later date and defrost in the microwave or re-bake until soft and until desired warmth.

no. 4

Making large batches of brown rice, quinoa, lentils, beans. Stay one step ahead by having grains and beans cooked ahead of time and ready to use in the fridge. This really helps cut down on prep time on busy weeknights. This Lentil, Carrot and Raisin salad is the perfect side to throw together when cooked lentils are already at your fingertips. It’s also useful to chop up fresh veggies right after bringing them home from the grocery store or farmers market. Making them readily accessible makes it easier to grab on the go or toss into salads.

no. 5

Smart storage. It’s a bummer to purchase all of this delicious produce that ends up spoiling by the end of the week. Planning out meals ahead of time and purchasing your goods accordingly saves lots of time, money, and wasted food. Keeping certain foods away from others in storage can also delay spoilage, like keeping bananas, sweet potatoes, eggplant, peppers, and butternut squash, cucumbers and leafy greens alone and away from other vegetables.

PREP AWAY.

What other fall meal prepping tactics do you follow? Did this inspire you to start meal prepping this season? Autumn has so many delicious foods and flavors to offer. Tag me #freshplates on instagram and Facebook, I’d love to see your meal prepping ways! Need more one-on-one advice from a nutrition professional? Contact me!