In my last post, Gut Health for the Holidays, we explored some ways you can keep your body happy and healthy without completely avoiding your favourite seasonal treats. In today’s post, we’ll be exploring some alternatives to these kinds of foods. These options may be lighter, easier to digest, or otherwise healthier for you to be eating!
I recommend writing down your favourite fall foods; underneath these foods, write down their flavours, textures, and anything else you enjoy about them! Then, think about the ingredients that tend to make them unhealthy, heavy, or hard to digest. How can you replace these ingredients, or otherwise modify the recipe to suit your needs? For example, I love the flavour of pumpkin pie! However, I want to avoid excess sugar. To get my pumpkin spice fix, I instead make high-protein muffins using pumpkin pie spice! I still get the warm, delicious taste I associate with fall, but it comes without all the sugar.
For heavy foods you don’t want to change too much, try to sprinkle in a carminative herb. Carminatives bring blood flow and energy to the abdomen, which aids in digestion! Spices like cinnamon, cardamom, paprika, and cayenne can all help with digestion as carminative herbs. Alternatively, create a bitters tincture or grab some fennel seeds to consume before or after your meal to help stimulate digestive enzymes.
Don’t over-indulge in the foods you love or their “healthy” (or healthier) alternatives. Moderation is the key to success when it comes to eating rich, heavy foods, especially when it comes to maintaining a happy gut. Enjoy these kinds of foods at about one meal a week. Fill your diet with probiotic rich foods, leafy greens, and a variety of fruits, veggies, and lean protein at the rest of your meals and snack times! For heart health, consider eating about 6 ounces or less of red meat each week, too.
Sides
- Hidden Veggies Macaroni and Cheese (Vegan) by Carleigh Bodrug
- Paleo Stuffing Recipe (Gluten free, grain free) by 40 Aprons
- Cauliflower “Mashed Potatoes” – I Food Real
- Baked Sweet Potato Fries – The Good Food Baddie
- Easy and Creamy Vegan Potato Casserole – Vegan Sandra
Sweet Treats
- Rich and Creamy Vegan Eggnog – Go Dairy Free
- Healthy Pumpkin Protein Muffins – Monica Nedeff
- Healthy Apple Crumble Pie (flourless, vegan, gluten-free) – Beauty Bites
- Healthier Mini Apple Pies – Erin Lives Whole
- Apple Pie Energy Bites – Running on Real Food
- Healthy Snickerdoodle Cookies – Veggie Balance
- Healthy Gingerbread Loaf – iFood Real
- Healthy Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies – Amy’s Healthy Baking
- Homemade Chai Tea Mix – The Fewell Homestead
- Dark Chocolate Bark (Peppermint, Nut) – Life is But a Dish
For more flavourful, nutritious, and probiotic-powered bread, try…
- Pumpkin Kamut Calendula Sourdough Bread – Adventures in Foodieland
- Pumpkin Sourdough Bread by Halicopter Away
Savory Meals
- Apple Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash by Downshiftology
- White Chicken Chili by Small Town Woman
- Brown Butter Penne with Fall Veggies by Forks and Folly
Soups
- Carrot Ginger Soup (Vegan) by Feel Good Foodie
- Vegetable Soup by Dinner Then Dessert
- Chickpea Soup (Vegan) by The Clever Meal
- Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup by Gimme Some Oven
- Roasted Potato and Fennel Soup – The Simple Veganista