Healthy Helpings: Eating nutritious fall foods

Autumn is now in full swing with cooler weather, leaves changing color, fall festivals and football.

Many of us have favorite foods we look forward to this time of year, including pumpkin pie, applesauce, soups, pumpkin spice lattes and hot chocolate.

We also have our favorite snack foods to munch on during Sunday night football such as wings, nachos, salsa and chips, hot dogs, sausage, potato chips, French fries and pizza.

But it is possible to find healthy ways to enjoy our favorite foods of the season.

With fall comes many delicious fresh fruits and vegetables, including bananas, apples, pears, tangerines, clementines, cranberries, grapes, figs, eggplants, green beans, artichokes, beets, carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes and squash.

This is an excellent time to not only eat these fresh foods, but to can or freeze them for use during the winter months. Aim for five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

These foods are high in a variety of vitamins and minerals. They also contain fiber to improve colon health and heart health, and they make you feel fuller longer.

If a hot beverage is what you desire in this cooler weather, make smart choices by getting the light version, getting the smaller size, choosing nonfat milk instead of 2 percent or whole milk and declining the whipped cream. You can save anywhere from 50 to more than 100 calories depending on your choice.

Keep in mind that it takes a caloric deficit of 500 to 1000 calories per day to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week. Getting a “light” beverage can be one of many healthier decisions you introduce into your daily routine.

If it’s a good day for soup to warm the soul, choose hearty soups full of vegetables and lean meat. Choose cream-based soups less often to avoid extra calories and fat. If you’re buying canned soups, choose the lower sodium option.

With football season comes football munchies! We can still enjoy these indulgences in moderation with healthier options as well. Be adventurous and try new recipes. The web is full of healthy recipes and recipe alternatives to improve the nutritional value. Here are some ideas when planning your game-time menu:

— Make a fresh vegetable tray with a low-fat dressing or dip

— Make a fresh fruit tray with a low-fat yogurt dip

— Make a fruit salad with 100 percent fruit juice

— Make your own baked, seasoned potato wedges or potato chips in the oven using canola oil or an oil high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat.

— Make vegetarian, lean-beef or turkey chili

— Prepare a dish of low-fat cheese with whole-grain crackers

— Use an air popper and make popcorn lightly buttered and lightly salted or seasoned

— Provide low-sodium mixed nuts

— Prepare wings using skinless chicken and light dips

— Prepare lean-meat meatballs with marinara sauce

— Prepare Chex Mix using less butter than the original recipe

— Make your own trail mix including nuts and dried fruit

Keep in mind that portion size is a big component in any healthy eating plan. Measure out portions and place them on a separate plate instead of eating from the bowl or bag to keep better track of how much you are eating.

Eat smaller, more frequent meals and snacks to avoid overeating at mealtimes. Try to avoid going longer than four or five hours without eating.

Choose healthy most of the time; indulge some of the time. Consider counting total calories each day — downloading an application to your mobile device can make the process easier and less time-consuming.

Caloric balance is the key to maintaining a healthy weight. If weight loss is desired, avoid fad diets and take the approach that this is a lifestyle change to make healthier food choices, choose smaller portions and get active.

Lisa Plumeri is a clinical outpatient dietitian at Memorial Hospital. Healthy Helpings is a column written by nutritionists in York and Adams counties.

Nutrients in seasonal fruits and vegetables

Apples, cranberries, kiwi, pears and kumquats: Vitamin C, fiber

Bananas: Vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium, fiber

Grapes and snow peas: Vitamin C

Oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, broccoli and cauliflower: Vitamin C, fiber, folate

Beans, pumpkin and spinach: Vitamin C, vitamin A, folate

Beets: Vitamin C, folate, potassium

Winter squash: Vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, fiber, folate, thiamin

Carrots: Vitamin A

Sweet potatoes: Vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, fiber, copper, potassium

Mushrooms: Vitamin B2, vitamin B3, copper, pantothenate

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Healthy Lifestyle – with Bill & Sheila