Having grown up in New England, fall is by far my favorite season. Summer is a very close second - especially with winters as cold as they are - but there is just something about sunny, cool, fall day that is hard to beat. I feel super fortunate that my final months of my pregnancy have taken place in September and October because I felt great all summer long, and now I can just do some nesting in my leggings, with my crock pot, and sweat half as much as I did just 3 months ago.
With just a few days to go until Baby Tallents’ arrival, I’ve been trying to make a few things that I can either freeze for the first week we’re home or - let’s be honest - that I can eat now. Baby T has dropped and is sitting low, so I have a little more room in my stomach and I’m back to wanting to eat 17 times a day. I’ve done my best to keep healthy snacks in the house so I can stick to eating unprocessed foods that are high in the nutrients I need. I’ve always been a huge sucker for fall recipes and will try anything pumpkin, so I have a few go-to snack recipes that are filled with protein, healthy fats and fiber, as well as essential nutrients for fertility, pregnancy and beyond, such as folate (for healthy brain and spinal cord development), calcium, manganese and beta-carotene (for healthy bone growth) and iron (for increased blood supply and baby’s blood development). Not to mention, they have under 5 main ingredients, are super easy and adjustable and are made using real, whole foods.
Pumpkin Hummus - A Fall take on the classic
What you need:
¼ cup pumpkin
2 cups of chickpeas (equivalent to 1 can)
¼ cup Tahini
⅛ cup Olive Oil
1-2 cloves of garlic
Water, lemon, salt and pepper to taste (add water at the end only if its a little too thick for you)
Optional: Sprinkle a little paprika on top of the finished product to be fancy
Throw all ingredients into a magic mix/food processor or blender until smooth. Serve with whole grain crackers, carrots or sliced red pepper.
Pumpkin Energy Bites - Great for fertility, pregnancy and post-baby snacking
What you need:
2 bananas (the riper the better)
2 ½ cups of rolled oats
½ cup pumpkin
2 tablespoons coconut flakes
2 tablespoons ground flax
Cinnamon, cloves and allspice to taste
Optional: any natural sweetener such as honey or maple syrup to taste
Optional: pumpkin seeds, raisins, chocolate chips, goji berries, or any other additive
Mash up all ingredients in a mixing bowl and the batter should be almost like a paste. Adjust the amount of banana and oats to get the right consistency. Bake on 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Consume warm (my personal favorite way to eat them), put in a container for later or freeze.