We're talking healthy fall meals that keep you feeling good when you're on the go! Here are some of my favorite easy to prepare fall staples that provide me with great, nutritious fuel even when I'm low on time. It's about half fresh food, half "processed". But, let's face it, it's hard to make your own soups and dals everyday. Luckily, there are some fantastic pre-made options out there!
I've been really in tune with my seasonal cravings this year. The chill in the air has made me say goodbye to salads and gravitate towards warm, hearty deliciousness. Also, I think I'm addicted to squash. I've had fun experimenting with acorn and butternut this fall!
Let's zoom in a little to see what we have…
Dr. McDougall's Soups and Entrees- I know I can always trust the McDougall brand for well-balanced vegan meals. Their soups and asian entrees are delicious and filling, while being naturally low-fat and packaged in BPA-free containers. You can find these products in the soup and asian departments in Whole Foods and sometimes in the natural section of your regular grocery store.
Amy's Organic Soups- While not in BPA free containers, these soups are still a great choice given the integrity of their ingredients. I've been enjoying their split pea soup lately, as it's easy to heat up at school! Amy's uses organic ingredients whenever possible, and is always non-gmo. I usually prefer Dr. McDougall's in taste, but as I said, the split pea has me hooked!
Tasty Bite Indian Entrees- So, I've recently become addicted to Indian. Those warming flavors are simply divine. However, getting those flavors in a home cooked meal can be pretty labor intensive, and requires a lot of ingredients. As a grad student, I was craving good Indian food, but did not have the time or money to make it myself! Enter Tasty Bite. I was ecstatic when I found this brand in my local Whole Foods. Tasty Bite has a vast array of Indian options. Many of the entrees are vegan, gluten free, and kosher. Everything is all-natural, made with simple ingredients that one can recognize and understand (always key with processed foods). Even better, Tasty Bite has an awesome BPA- free packaging system which cooks the items in an already sealed pouch, allowing for a long shelf life without preservatives! I love heating up some spinach dal and enjoying it with spaghetti squash. It literally takes one minute.
These foods are a little less "fast", but if you make them in advance, they round out a meal perfectly. Lately, I've been roasting tons of spaghetti, butternut, and acorn squash to have on hand. I usually just hollow them out, sprinkle on some salt and pepper, and throw them in the oven at 375 for about 45 minutes (butternut seems to take less time, so I'd check at 35 first). Acorn squash is delicious if you cut it into wedges! The other two I do in halves. I also love to quickly steam some broccoli or roast eggplant to have ready for easy to prepare lunches and dinners. Not pictured here are mung beans and quinoa, which add a great source of protein to any meal.
Here is an example of an easy meal I whipped up with some of the pre-made ingredients I had in my fridge (not the prettiest picture, I apologize):
I have spaghetti squash, mung beans, broccoli, red onion, eggplant, and tomatoes. I dressed it with some Annie's Lite Goddess dressing and poof! Delicious, fast, nutritious fall meal =)
I hope you've gotten some inspiration from this post. Just because you're low on time, doesn't mean you need to sacrifice on quality! When we are busy and on the go, it is especially important to give our body the energy it needs. It's all about doing a little prep in advance, and having some pre-made staples in your pantry.
Enjoy the last bits of fall everyone!
Be Well.
Love, Julie
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