Autumnal Awesomeness: Fall Food and Exercise

I love fall. The cooler weather, the excitement of the new school year, the anticipation of the holidays — all good.

Still, as I checked in with my OSU health coach Lindsay yesterday, I had to admit that autumn has somehow drained my desire to exercise. Really, I just want to curl up in a blanket and sleep, rising only for infusions of spiced cider and snickerdoodles.

Wow. That sounds awesome, doesn’t it?

But in the meantime, there’s life to live. And I need to figure out some way to motivate myself to get moving. I also need to enjoy wonderfully sweet, delicious, spiced fall foods that I so love — without overdoing it.

So, what to do? Since I like fall so much, Lindsay suggested that I get out into the crisp fall weather and let the beauty of the season motivate me for walks and bike rides. I like the sound of that.

As far as healthy fall foods are concerned, I’m at a bit of a loss. The summer CSA that delivered food to my door is over for the year, and I find myself browsing the produce shelves with some confusion. When I have to pick out vegetables myself, I tend to go for familiar items such as carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower. I couldn’t miss the bright piles of squashes at the grocery stores, though, and I have brought various and sundry ones home.

Lindsay confirmed that squash is a reasonably healthy vegetable — a little starchier than some, but not too starchy, which is good if you’re looking to cut back on sugars. Some of the more popular ones are butternut squash and acorn squash, and a little butter and brown sugar go a long way to bring out the flavor.

Meanwhile, registration is open for the fall 2011 YP4H classes, and I’ve signed up for “Menu Planning for Small Families” and “Healthy Potlucks for the Holidays.” There might be some squash in there, somewhere.

Until then, OSU Extension offers a primer on squash, and a fact sheet about selecting, storing, and serving Ohio squash and pumpkin.