No matter how old you are, autumn always feels like it’s time to go back to school. Maybe that’s because the shorter days and cooler temperatures bring you back indoors, or because peak vacation season is over. Whatever the reason, you never lose that feeling of getting back into a routine when summer ends.
Fall is an ideal season to focus on healthy habits that help you lose weight and keep it off. Autumn offers lots of opportunities to burn calories and so many foods that make shedding extra pounds delicious and satisfying.
To help you make the most of this season, we’ve gathered this guide to fresh ideas, helpful tips and essential resources to help you reach your weight loss goals.
Fresh Foods
Fall is harvest time for many produce items, so they are at their peak of freshness and nutrition. Summer favorites such as tomatoes and peppers are still going strong into October in most places while apples, squash, salad greens, broccoli and Brussels sprouts become abundant as the temperatures cool.
We especially love beets in the fall. The red roots are naturally low in calories and high in fiber, potassium and vitamin C. The edible greens on top are like spinach, and they add color and nutrients to salads, stir-fries and sautéed vegetable dishes. See our top six fall produce picks for the best of the season!
Seasonal Flavors
All of those ripe vegetables and fruits are the healthy foundation to meals that warm up our bodies, and our homes, on cool autumn days. This is the season for fragrant, slow-cooked soups, stews, casseroles and other dishes that fill you up for hours.
Chili recipes are another classic fall meal that you can enjoy when you’re losing weight. One of our favorite versions is Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chicken Chili, made with shredded white meat chicken breast and white beans that are cooked until they’re tender in a rich sauce that features the tangy taste of pumpkin. Spice it the way you like it—hot, mild or in-between. You can find this recipe and more than a dozen others in this article featuring 15 colorful recipes for your fall menu.
If you love all things pumpkin, make sure to also download our free printable recipe book: 12 Pumpkin Recipes to Make Autumn Taste Awesome!
Comforting Choices
Many fall favorite dishes are warm and filling comfort foods. The Nutrisystem menu offers you options that satisfy your cravings but keep you on track to your weight loss goal.
Start your chilly autumn morning with a hot and hearty breakfast like Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal or a sweet Cinnamon Roll. For lunch, cozy up to a steaming bowl of Café-Style Creamy Tomato Soup.
Pick from classics like Salisbury Steak with Mac and Cheese and Roasted Turkey Medallions for dinner, or go for one of our premium Hearty Inspirations meals such as Merlot Beef with Root Vegetables or Bistro-Style Chicken Alfredo.
Finally, dessert is served in the form of deliciously indulgent baked goods that taste like fall, such as sweetly spiced Carrot Cake Cupcake or one of our moist and delicious cookies. We’ve got lots of options for every cookie lover on our snack menu.
Stock up on these 20 Nutrisystem menu choices that taste like fall!:
Smart Snacks
Busy days demand regular refueling, even when you’re losing weight. When you’re ready for a Flex snack, you can enjoy fall favorites that have been made the healthy way.
We’re talking about fun foods like Chocolate Caramel Apples. When you make your own with our recipe, you get all the gooey goodness and less than 100 calories.
Pumpkin Spice Cookies are another sweet treat that features the flavor of fall in a healthier way. Check out these other fall snack recipes for tasty ideas that fit into your weight loss plan!
Seasonal Sips
The fast way to warm up on a crisp autumn day is to wrap your hands around a mug of hot cocoa, tea or coffee. Plain tea and coffee are Free Foods on your Nutrisystem weight loss plan, meaning you can enjoy as much of them as you want. Adding other ingredients, such as cream and sugar, loads on calories you don’t want.
Instead, try one of our healthy recipes such as Easy Homemade Chai. It’s made with rich almond milk and flavored with cinnamon, ginger and honey. It’s one of six hot drinks to help you warm up and slim down that we’ve gathered for you.
If you’re craving the classic taste of pumpkin spice, we can help with that too! Whip up a pumpkin coffee with our Skinny Pumpkin Latte recipe or Skinny Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew recipe.
Outside Activity
After the sweltering days of summer are over, glorious fall days makes being active outdoors so pleasurable. There are many ways to keep your metabolism burning while you have fun this season, from apple picking to riding a bicycle. If you’re in the mood for a quieter activity, walking or hiking at a local park lets you soak up the vivid colors of fall foliage. For more ideas, check out these five fun fall activities to burn calories!
Stress Less
The daily routine can often turn into hectic mornings getting everyone’s day started, jammed-up afternoons that leave you little time to catch your breath, and evenings full of activities. Constant stress can raise your body’s cortisol levels, which slows your weight loss progress.
The best way to de-stress is doing something that takes you away from your cares and worries. Reading can be a pleasant distraction for many people and it comes with other health benefits.
If you feel best when you’re outside in the fresh air and sunshine, fall is an ideal time to plant flowers such as tulips and daffodils, and lots of vegetables such as spinach, carrots, garlic, and more. Our 12 easy tips for a fall garden will help you get started.
Want more suggestions on how to de-stress? Get our five self-care ideas to de-stress this fall at the link below. Remember, making time to relax and recharge isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.
