Who are we kidding? As soon as you step outside - you’re going to feel it.
And while these fall-like temperatures aren’t here to stay - we can enjoy them while they last.
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So what should you be eating and drinking to optimize your health while the temperatures continue to drop?
According to Catherine Kruppa from Advice for Eating, oatmeal, hot tea and soups should be on your list!
Oatmeal: Catherine says not only is it going to keep you warm, but it’s easy to digest too.
A classic comfort food that’s easy to digest and can be made with berries or a banana, milk or 1 Tbsp. of nut butter for protein and other toppings including cinnamon, nuts or seeds. It’s a great breakfast option to help sustain your energy - especially on cold days.
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Hot tea: Not all drinks are created equally, and some are loaded with extra calories and sugar.
Herbal or green tea can warm you from the inside out and provide many health benefits including reducing your risk of many diseases, improving your digestion, and enhancing your immune system.
Soups: And we can’t talk about cold weather without talking about soup but there is a secret ingredient that you want to make sure your soup includes... Bone Broth which helps support your immune system - especially when it’s cold outside.
You can load bone broth or vegetable broth with a multitude of vegetables and or legumes.
Catherine loves to make a detox crockpot lentil soup when it gets chilly.
It is easy to make and loaded with vegetables to keep you warm.
And if you’re looking for the perfect crockpot dish - she gave us her favorite from a pinch of yum:
Ingredients you’ll need:
This soup is jam-packed with so many wholesome, feel-good ingredients. Let’s count them up, shall we?
- butternut squash
- carrots, celery, and onion (or mirepoix)
- potatoes
- green lentils and yellow split peas (you can use more green lentils if you can’t find split peas)
- garlic
- broth
- herbs de provence
- kale and fresh parsley
- a swish of olive oil and red wine vinegar at the end
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How to make this Lentil Soup Recipe:
As is my goal with most recipes I make for Pinch of Yum, this crockpot lentil soup was made for real life. Because it’s literally for my real life.
- Start with flavor: We’re starting with a solid base: onions, garlic, carrots, celery, spices, salt, and broth.
- Add the vegetables and lentils: Then we’re getting awesome by adding butternut squash, which partially melts into a creamy textured miracle, lentils (always lentils), and yellow split peas because WOW color.
- Puree and serve: After all your feel-good vegetables simmer up into the best house smells and then we do the magic thing that takes it over the top: puree a portion of the soup with that olive oil to form a silky emulsion that then gets added back into the soup.
But you’ll want to make this dish today because temperatures are back in the 80s by Sunday.