Ahhh the fall. Sweater weather. Holiday season. Lots of really fun, exciting things to look forward to during the fall! But typically, achieving a weight loss goal isn't something most of us associate with fall. In fact, most of us associate it with sugar and weight gain. But there are actually a TON of amazing, fat burning foods that are widely available during the fall season!
Today, I'm sharing 10 foods that will help you acheive your weight loss goal during the fall!
Pumpkin
A 1/2 cup serving of pumpkin puree (baked and mashed pumpkin) comes in at around 4g of fiber, 6g net carbohydrates and VERY high amounts of betacarotene (which is then converted into vitamin A in the body.). Because pumpkin is fairly low in net carbohydrates, it's a great addition to your meals for a boost of flavor without spiking your fat storing hormone insulin.
I love making the Pumpkin Chili Goodness from the Complete IF Bundle for a warming, major fall-inspo dinner.
Garlic
Obviously this ingredient will add a TON of flavor to your meals and it's super easy to add into almost anything. But garlic also helps support liver detoxification by aiding in increasing glutathione production in your body. Glutathione is our "master antioxidant" that we make in-house and it's required for safely breaking down toxins in the liver. (1)
Try making the Spanish Meatballs from the Complete IF Bundle to get an extra boost of garlic in your day.
Full-Fat Greek Yogurt
To be even more specific, full-fat, grass-fed greek yogurt (also organic). One cup of greek yogurt comes in at around 20g of protein, making it a super easy way to bump up your daily protein intake. Protein is essential for achieving a weight loss goal because it helps your body feel satisfied after a meal and therefore prevents sugar cravings by activating the satiety hormone peptide YY. Not enough protein in your diet can result in constant snacking throughout the day and therefore a consistent spike in insulin (storing hormone) levels.
I've been loving making a greek yogurt bowl with chia seeds, nuts, coconut flakes and a low sugar fruit as a topping. You can also swap out your protein powder for greek yogurt in smoothies.
Cabbage
I've been OBSESSING over sautéed cabbage for the last few months now. It's such an easy way to bump up your non-starchy veggie and fiber intake. Plus, cabbage tends to last longer in the fridge than other leafy greens making it a great option if you find yourself constantly throwing out old lettuce. Not to mention, cabbage is another one of those foods that helps ramp up glutathione production and promote liver detoxification (which is important for maintaining fat burning mechanisms), just like garlic.
Try out my FAVORITE lunch recipe, the Warming Cabbage Scramble in the Complete IF Bundle.
Eggs
Eggs are pretty much a multivitamin. It's insane how much necessary fats and vitamins are packed into eggs. Two eggs contain 11g of protein, nearly half of your daily selenium and B12 needs and it's LOADED with the oft forgotten vitamin choline. Choline helps to breakdown fat in the body, particularly fat in the liver. In fact, one study found that those with a low choline diet tended to develop fatty liver disease. (2)
Eggs are pretty simple to add into your meals. My favorite method is scrambled, but you can also hard boil eggs and throw them in salads or bake eggs and have them as a frittata for dinner.
Mushrooms
One cup of mushrooms contains over half of your vitamin B5 and copper needs. Plus, it contains roughly a 1:1 ratio of carbohydrates to fiber, making it an excellent option to help slow the release of glucose into the blood supply and help reduce the insulin response - making your body shift into fat burning (aka lipolysis) faster!
If you haven't tried sautéing mushrooms with thyme, sea salt and butter... just do it. It's by far my favorite, tastiest way to incorporate mushrooms into a meal!
Ginger
Ginger is commonly known as an anti-inflammatory, but it also has been found to act as a prokinetic.(3) This basically means it helps to improve your GI health by helping your MMC run a little faster. Remember, the MMC (migrating motor complex) is crucial for flushing out left behind food and bacteria from the GI tract and reducing bloating.
Try the Turmeric Pineapple Smoothie from the Complete IF Bundle for a kick of anti-inflammatory ginger!
Bone-In Meats
Just like with homemade bone broth, cooking meats such as chicken and beef with the bone in helps provide collagen. Collagen is important to maintain our connective tissue, skin, joints and hair. Plus, cooking meat with the skin and bone adds a ton of flavor and keeps the meat from drying out.
Some of my favorites include chicken thighs, short ribs and full roasted chicken. You can try out my favorite Whole Roasted Chicken recipe and my Go-To Bone Broth recipe in the Complete IF Bundle.
Ghee
Or grass-fed butter, for that matter. Obviously, I'm a fan of using butter in my coffee to keep blood glucose levels stable and help the body tap into fat burning mechanisms. But both ghee and butter are great cooking options as well. Because both ghee and butter contain the very stable saturated fatty acids, it doesn't go rancid as quickly as many plant-based oils when exposed to higher temperature cooking.
Try using 1 Tbsp. of ghee or butter next time you sauté up Brussels sprouts or broccoli!
Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti squash is a fantastic swap for pastas or rice at dinner because it is much lower in starchy carbohydrates that spike the fat storing hormone insulin. One cup of spaghetti squash contains 6x LESS net carbohydrates than an equivalent amount of white rice.
One of my favorite recipes for spaghetti squash is my Spaghetti Squash Bolognese from my latest cookbook Autumn's Nerdy Kitchen. Oh my. This recipe is EPIC.
Happy Fall, AENpeeps! 🤓
Your Nutritionist,
Autumn
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Autumn Elle Nutrition