By: Kelsey Pukala, registered dietitian/nutritionist at Nourishing Minds Nutrition

It’s FALL!!!!!!!!!!! Honestly, in Florida, the weather still feels warm… but all of the Fall things have reached the shelves of every Trader Joes, which means it’s officially Fall. Even if our weather doesn’t call for cozy soups, stews and Pumpkin Spice Lattes, I usually get too excited to wait and bust out my slow cooker anyway.

There are a few recipes I’ve already been loving this season and I wanted to share them all with you.

Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup from Gimme Some Oven

Truly, I make this all year-round because it’s so good, but it’s particularly cozy during the cooler months. This might be one of my all-time favorite recipes. And it could not be easier! You can make it on the stove, in the slow-cooker or the Instant Pot. I don’t find the rice to be cooked enough in the slow cooker, so my choice would be stovetop or Instant Pot. Sometimes I use full-fat coconut milk instead of cream, sometimes we add other things like cauliflower and chicken and sometimes we just eat it as-is. Also delicious served with a crusty loaf of bread.

Pumpkin Banana Muffins from Ambitious Kitchen

Tis the season for all the pumpkin muffin recipes. Most likely, all are delicious. I’m just never disappointed with this recipe. **FYI, the word “healthy” is used quite a bit throughout this blog post, so if that’s triggering for you, I would encourage you to find another recipe.

Homemade Applesauce from Cookie and Kate

When I was in college, we made applesauce in the Fall and it’s just the best. I like this recipe because it’s simple and versatile (why eat applesauce plain when you can add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top??). If you know someone who needs to get into the Fall spirit, I highly recommend making this for them!

Autumn Harvest Pasta Sauce from The Traders Table

Yes, you can buy this pasta sauce from Trader Joes… and it’s delicious! But, I had a friend send me a recipe to make it at home and it’s actually really simple and makes enough to freeze a portion for a later time. The homemade version is also dairy-free (for anyone lactose intolerant or with a dairy allergy), while the store-bought jar is not. This is amazing on your favorite pasta, pizza or even chicken… I seriously can eat it like soup it’s so good.

If you’re struggling with giving yourself permission to enjoy fun foods this Fall season, I see you. This can be extremely tough with all the talk of Pumpkin Spice Lattes, muffins and cookies. You’re not alone, so give yourself some grace this season as you work towards challenging the food police. If you want to continue in your Intuitive Eating journey and feel you may need additional support, please reach out to us here at Nourishing Minds Nutrition as we would love to help walk with you through this!

Thanks for this blog post! Learn more about Kelsey and work with her here.

P.S. Want more holiday support! Grab our holiday survival guide e-book!