Fall into better eating habits with the seasons healthy harvest

Soon the days will be shorter and the nights will be cooler, bringing on our natural tendency to want to hole up for the next few months and console ourselves with comfort food. Theres certainly nothing wrong with doing that once in a while (after all, who doesnt love a good chicken pot pie?!), but before it becomes a habit, weave in some menu options that will still leave you feeling warm and cozy without decimating your healthy diet.

Below are a few wholesome picks from falls fresh crop of fruits and vegetables, including ideas for hearty yet healthy autumnal recipes.

Apples are an excellent source of vitamins C, K and B6, plus theyre low in calories and high in fiber. Fall is prime time for picking, so keep an eye out for unbruised, firm flesh with unbroken skin, and then enjoy the proverbial apple a day with the Food Networks 31 days of apple recipes here.

Broccoli is a hardy vegetable that is harvested in late fall when the heads are dark green in color and compact in appearance. Keep fresh florets in the fridge for about a week for healthy munching or blanch and freeze them for quick access to this nutritional superstar all winter long. For a delicious twist, try Ina Gartens Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli.

Cranberries are too tart to be eaten as picked, yet delicious when boiled into compotes or baked into a variety of fall dishes and desserts. Instead of loading up on sugar in an attempt to mask the natural flavor, however, try complementing this berry with ingredients, such as citrus, to make it shine. Check out Cooking Lights take on traditional recipes here.

Eggplant its not just for parmesan anymore. This shiny, purple berry (yes, you read that correctly its actually not a vegetable) acts as a great base for everything from dips to sauces, plus its a good source of dietary fiber, potassium, manganese, copper and thiamin (vitamin B1). Click here for some healthy eggplant recipes and cooking tips from Eating Well.

Figs are an all-natural energy source, and a handful either dried or fresh provides five grams of dietary fiber or 20 percent of the daily value, along with a host of other helpful nutrients. FitSugar celebrates this ancient fruit here with seven healthy recipes for late summer and early fall.

Leafy greens (think collards, mustard greens, kale, cabbage and spinach) are one of the top foods you can put on your plate, according to dietary experts. Theyre densely packed with nutrients and considered superfoods, rich in calcium, magnesium, fiber and vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as heart-healthy folate and carotenoid antioxidants. Bon Appetit offers the following recipes here, guaranteed to make your other veggies green with envy.

Pears are popular year-round, but available in an abundance of varieties in the autumn months. Packing plenty of fiber, plus vitamin C and potassium, pears typically need to be ripened after purchase, so avoid fruit that is bruised, blemished or extra hard. Click here for recipes from Epicurious, plus tips for this favorite fall fruit.

Pomegranates may take a lot of work to disassemble, but those tangy, burst-in-your-mouth seeds are well worth the effort. Snack on them by the handful, sprinkle them on salads or drink a glass of pure juice for a massive amount of antioxidants. Or give one of Huffington Posts 13 best recipes for pomegranates a whirl here.

Pumpkins are fall embodied. Perfect for baking and full of seeds for toasting, theyre a tasty source of vitamins and minerals, particularly beta-carotene, vitamin C and potassium. And if youre looking for alternative recipes to the usual pie, Womens Health offers these so-good-theyre-scary fall pumpkin recipes for your pre-Halloween get togethers.

Squash is not only one of the most colorful fall veggies, but its also one of the more versatile. Extremely easy to cook and loaded with potassium and fiber, it can be added to soups and salads, as well as broiled, baked, stewed and sauted. Taste of Home highlights a harvest of healthy squash recipes here.

Sweet potatoes are rich in potassium, beta carotene, fiber, iron and calcium, not to mention that one baked, medium-sized sweet potato contains 438 percent of your daily value of vitamin A all at a mere 105 calories. A fat reduction review can help you establish a clear outline of what you demand to focus on to complete your fat loss objective if you're a beginner; or serve as a reminder for the ones who are at an intermediate or more improve step of their weight loss program. Promptly after are seven steps that can serve as tips for your own weight loss system. The first thing that one must understand is that losing weight and losing fat is not the same thing. Many weight loss plans have misled people into considering that it is the same, but most diets and weight loss programs only work by leading to a person's body to lose more muscle cells and water than actual body fat, more help please visit The Fat Loss Factor. Tempt your taste buds with Healths top 25 sweet potato recipes here.

• 
  

  Sleeping Well Over 50: Tips for Sleeping Better as You Age

  www.helpguide.org/life/sleep_aging.htm

  Having trouble sleeping? These tips will help you overcome common age-related sleep problems.

• Vernon County Farm To School - The Vernon County Farm to

  www.farmtoschoolvc.org

  The Vernon County Farm to School program integrates fresh, whole foods into school lunches and classrooms in southwest Wisconsin while teaching children the lifelong ...

• Healthy Eating and Food Safety Tips

  bcuwexhealthyliving.blogspot.com

  Welcome to my blog on healthy eating and food safety. I look forward to your comments and feedback regarding use of this tool to disseminate

• Seasonal Eating - INTRODUCTION - Cleveland Clinic Wellness

  www.clevelandclinicwellness.com/food/SeasonalEating/Pages/...

  Eat foods in season and reap the health benefits (more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants) save money, and be good to the environment, too.

• Eating in Season - Fall & Winter Fruits and Vegetables

  maddieruud.hubpages.com Fruit Ingredients

  Fall and Winter fruits and vegetables, and how to choose ripe ones.

• 10 Ways To Promote Healthy Eating - PTOToday.com

  www.ptotoday.com/.../article/895-10-ways-to-promote-healthy-eating

  A national emphasis on childhood obesity has prompted many parent groups to seek out ways to promote healthy eating. From labor-of-love pursuits such as a school ...

• Kids Behavior - How To Information Page 1 eHow

  www.ehow.com Parenting Children

  Don't just sit there scratching your head, find useful info on Kids Behavior on eHow. Get essential tips and learn more about everything from How to Stop Siblings ...

• Health News & Articles Healthy Living - ABC News

  abcnews.go.com/health

  Get the latest health news from Dr. Richard Besser. Here you'll find stories about new medical research, the latest health care trends and health issues that affect ...

• Seasonal Eating - Healthy Food, Season By Season

  www.clevelandclinicwellness.com/food/SeasonalEating/Pages/Healthy...

  If youve never swooned over asparagus or gone gaga over a tomato, then youve probably never waited all year for the seasons first crop

• Healthy Endeavors: Developing Healthy Eating Habits for Life!

  dontworrygethealthy.com

  Healthy-Endeavors.com is all about how you can develop healthy eating habits. We feature healthy food recipes and heart healthy diets using all natural ingredients ...

• Relationships & Family - How To Information eHow

  www.ehow.com/relationships

  Take your career to new heights. Our expert advice will help you land a job, navigate complicated work situations, get a raise or promotion or jumpstart a new career.

• RealAge is now part of Sharecare Health Tips & Assessments ...

  www.sharecare.com/static/realage-sharecare

  RealAge is now a part of Sharecare. You can find all of our great content on Sharecare now. Topics. Get healthy-living tips for everything from knee pain and seasonal ...

• Canada Adventure Tour & Trip Expert - Great Excursions

  www.greatexcursions.travel

  Find exclusive vacations and activity travel packages for independent travellers, small group adventures, new tours around the world added each week!

• Healthy Eats - Food Network's Healthy Eating Blog

  blog.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats

  Food Network's Healthy Eats: Healthy Recipes, Weight Loss Tips & Nutrition Information

• Nutrition and You!- Healthy Eating & Diet Tips - Boston.com

  www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/blog/nutrition

  Jul 01, 2013 Joan Salge Blake discusses the latest nutrition news and gives practical advice about nutrition, diet and how to make healthy meals.

• Feature Blogs on Yahoo! Health

  health.yahoo.net/experts

  Expert blogs on topics including pregnancy, love, diabetes, weight loss, depression, cholesterol, breast cancer, fitness, yoga, diet, nutrition, and more.

• Eating Better on a Budget (Eat Well, Spend Less) Life As Mom

  lifeasmom.com/2013/04/eating-better-on-a-budget-eat-well-spend...

  We strive to eat healthy home cooked food without spending an arm and a leg to do. Here's how our family works to eat better on a budget.

• How To Grow A Four-Season Garden Part 1 One Green

  1greengeneration.elementsintime.com/?p=284

  One Green Generation. Green, frugal, sustainable, simple, healthy, and happy We are living the lives we want to live. Please Join Us!

• parentsnewz News, entertainment, parenting, community, all ...

  www.parentsnewz.com

  Current news, entertainment and everything for parents! ... Antibacterial soaps may double the risk of allergies in kids. When parents wash their childrens hands ...

• Frequently Asked Questions - The University of Arizona, Tucson ...

  ag.arizona.edu/cochise/mg/faq.htm

  Cochise County Cooperative Extension Home Horticulture Environmentally Responsible Gardening & Landscaping in the High Desert

• Walden - Chapter 11 - The Thoreau Reader

  thoreau.eserver.org/walden11.html

  Woodchuck by Charles W. Shwartz AS I CAME home through the woods with my string of fish, trailing my pole, it being now quite dark, I caught a glimpse of a woodchuck ...

• 11 tips for eating healthy on a budget Simple Mom

  simplemom.net/11-tips-for-eating-healthy-on-a-budget

  I completely resonate with the message to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and to buy organic whenever possible. When I buy meat for my family and myself I now ...

• The Season at Persephone Farm

  theseason.persephonefarm.com

  at Persephone Farm ... We could probably write an entire digital riff on snapdragons without breaking much of a sweathow they tend to dominate the garden when they ...

• SELF Magazine: fitness, nutrition, health and beauty advice: Self.com

  www.self.com/blogs/flash

  SELF Magazine: fashion, beauty, health, sex advice, news