It’s that time of year: PSL season. We know you pumpkin-spice lovers know what we’re talking about. But pumpkin isn’t just for lattes! Nor is it the only gourd worth fawning over this fall. Check out these recipes for tasty, healthy ways to get in the autumn spirit!

Pumpkin

Elana’s Pantry: Paleo Pumpkin Bread

Amy’s Healthy Baking: Skinny Pumpkin Spice Creamer

Whole New Mom: Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Skinny Taste: Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

Cooking Light: Whole Stuffed Roasted Pumpkin

Curious Cuisiniere: Healthy Pumpkin Corn Chowder

American Heart Association: Spicy Pumpkin Burritos

Lazy Cat Kitchen: Pumpkin Coconut Curry

PopSugar: Easy Baked Pumpkin Ravioli

That’s So Michelle: Pumpkin Pizza

Wellness Mama: Pumpkin Chilli

Abby’s Kitchen: Healthy Pumpkin Chipotle Pasta

 

Butternut Squash

Chowhound: Buttnernut Squash and Crab Bisque

SkinnyTaste: Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna

Cooking Light: Vegetable Lasagna with Butternut Bechamel

Ambitious Kitchen: Healthy Butternut Squash Sweet Potato Casserole

Pinch of Yum: 30 Minute Squash Coconut Curry

Making Thyme for Health: Butternut Squash Enchilada Casserole

Paleo Leap: Butternut Squash Fries

Cookie and Kate: Spicy Butternut Squash Soup

The Healthy Foodie: Apple & Butternut Squash Pulled Pork Casserole

Food Network: Ina’s Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette

 

Spaghetti Squash

Whole Foods Market: Spaghetti Squash with Black Beans

Domestic Superhero: Broccoli Cheese Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Eating Well: Garlic Shrimp with Cilantro Spaghetti Squash

Julia’s Album: Bacon, Spinach, and Spaghetti Squash Fritters

The Kitchn: Spaghetti Squash Latkes

Kirbie’s Cravings: Spaghetti Squash Tater Tots

PaleOMG: Spaghetti Squash Bake

 

Acorn Squash

Food Network: Guy’s Acorn Squash Soup

Ambitious Kitchen: Baked Acorn Squash with Greek Yogurt, Honey, and Pecans

Martha Stewart: Acorn Squash Stuffed with Mushrooms and Rice

The Lean Green Bean: Curry Roasted Acorn Squash

Eating Well: Southwestern Stuffed Acorn Squash

New York Times: Honey Roasted Acorn Squash Rings

Food Network: Roasted Acorn Squash and Garlic Mash

The Roasted Root: Baked Acorn Squash Egg-in-a-Hole

 

Delicata Squash

Eating Well: Roasted Delicata Squash and Onions

Better Homes & Gardens: Sausage Stuffed Delicata Squash

The Kitchn: Delicata Squash Stuffed with Mushrooms, Farro, Pecans & Cranberries

Minimalist Baker: Delicata Squash Bake with Tahini

Family Circle: Maple-Glazed Delicata Squash

Rachel Ray: Roast Squash and Chicken Thighs

Several of us LifeBalancers decided to grow tomatoes this year, and it’s been a wonderful harvest! But, of course, now we’re struggling to figure out what the heck to do with all of this tomato bounty! So, if you’re in the same boat, or if you’re simply wondering how to make the most of the season’s fresh, ripe tomatoes, here are a few ideas!

 

Cherry Tomato Recipes

Food Network: Aunt Peggy’s Cucumber, Cherry Tomato and Onion Salad

Rachael Ray: Scampi with Cherry Tomatoes

Martha Stewart: Cherry Tomato Crisp

Culinary Hill: Balsamic Chicken & Tomatoes

Honest Cooking: Zucchini Spaghetti Noodles with Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes

Pioneer Woman: Cherry Tomato Tart

New York Times Cooking: Lemon & Garlic Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes

Graceful Little Honey Bee: Freezer-Friendly Oven Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce

The Full Helping: Super Versatile, Homemade Cherry Tomato Jam

Aberdeen’s Kitchen: Skillet Eggs and Potato Garden Breakfast

 

Full-Sized Tomato Recipes

Wellness Mama: Authentic Homemade Pasta Sauce

Food & Wine: Shrimp and Feta Stew

Food Network: Sausage and Basil Stuffed Tomatoes

Family Fresh Meals: Crockpot Canning Salsa

Cooking Light: Tomato Gratin Lasagna

How Sweet it Is: Heirloom Tomato, Avocado, and Burrata Salad on Garlic Toast

The Woks of Life: Beef Tomato Stir Fry

Bell’alimento: Oven Roasted Preserved Tomatoes

NY Times Cooking: Shakshuka with Feta

Paleo Running Momma: Sausage Tomato Basil Fritata

 

Fall is creeping in and the kids are heading back to school! As such, we thought this would be a good time to tackle a tough obstacle that many of you have mentioned: getting the kids to eat their fruits and veggies. Of course, we want to help kids understand the importance of eating fresh, nutritious vegetables, but that’s often easier said than done.

So we’re here to help! Read on for tasty (and sneaky) tips that’ll help you incorporate fruits and veggies into each of your family’s meals.

Breakfast:

• It’s a classic move: add some fresh berries or banana slices to pancakes and waffles.
• Incorporate smoothies! Use fruits and berries, yogurt, and ice for a basic, tasty smoothie. Raw honey and stevia make great sweeteners, and you can try adding natural peanut or almond butter for protein, healthy fat, and flavor. With the right combo, you may even be able to sneak in a few greens without compromising taste. Experiment to see what they like!
• Don’t rule veggies out at breakfast! Try including veggies in scrambled eggs (check out ideas for hiding them in your scrambles), or making breakfast casseroles, or frittatas.
• Try veggie breads and muffins! There are plenty of recipes for healthy zucchini, pumpkin and banana breads or muffins.

Lunch

• Pack some of those veggie-based breads and muffins, especially for sweets or snacks.
• Try these kid-friendly veggie lunch sandwiches.
• Try veggie wraps! Fill a whole-grain tortilla with cream cheese, guacamole, pesto, or hummus and add greens and any veggies your kids like.
• Have a good thermos? Make a fruit and vegetable smoothie and send it along.
• Make it fun! Instead of chopping, try using a cookie cutter to make shapes out of produce like cucumbers, zucchini, melon or pineapple.
• Include one of your children’s favorite dips with any cut-up produce you send along. Ranch, peanut butter, salsa, pesto, hummus – if it’ll help them eat their veggies, pack a little bit of dip in their lunchboxes.
• Freeze stone fruits like nectarines and plums just before they are fully ripe (to freeze, place them in a Ziploc bag and lay them flat in a single layer in the freezer). Pop them in the lunchbox in the morning and they’ll be edible by lunchtime (plus they’ll help keep the lunchbox cold).
• Have a dehydrator, or know someone who does? Apples, zucchini, butternut squash, carrots, turnips, beets and green beans can all be dehydrated to make tasty, crunchy chips that are lunch-box friendly.

Dinner:

• Try breading and starchier vegetables like zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and eggplant. Bake or pan-fry them and serve with a little marinara, Greek yogurt dip, hummus, or ranch.
• Add veggies to pasta and sauces! To save time and hide veggies, you can freeze pureed veggies and use them later for amazing sauces, breads, and other dishes.
• Set out cut up veggies and fruits for the kids to snack on while they wait for dinner.
• Try your hand a veggie fries and veggie tots! Sweet potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, squash, parsnips, and Brussels sprouts are among the many veggies that can be transformed into fries and tots.
• Try adding fruits, berries and cheese to salads for a little kid-friendly flavor.
• Pizza night? Add your own veggies, or order veggie toppings, and put together a quick fruit salad for a healthy side.
• Zucchini, squash, kohlrabi and other heartier vegetables can be shredded, seasoned and turned into delicious patties, fritters, and cakes.
• Add lots of veggies to your soups and stews! You can even sauté or steam veggies and add them to pre-made soups.
• Mash it up by trying mock mashed potatoes! Try mashed cauliflower and sweet potatoes, butternut squash and apples, or combo of root vegetables.
• Have you tried zoodles? They are a great replacement for pasta, and super easy to make with the right zoodle maker. (We’re loving this one from OXO, which you can use with zucchini, squash, beets, and more!)

We know that getting kids to eat fruits and vegetables isn’t easy. But we hope that at least some of these ideas can help you sneak more nourishing foods into your family’s meals!

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to replace the advice of health professionals, and we understand that dietary needs and tastes vary from one child to the next. If you have questions about the right diet for your children, we encourage you to consult your doctor or nutritionist.

This week, we’re tackling a hot topic: the pros and cons of organic vs conventional produce. As you may know, the issue is very controversial, in part, because it’s very complex. We have to note that we’re barely scratching the surface here, and if you’re interested, we encourage you to keep researching so that you can develop a deeper understanding of the debate behind how we grow our food.

Organic 101

So what makes produce “organic”, anyways? To start, we encourage you to check out the USDA requirements for organic farming and handling.

Now, why the fuss over organic food? The basic principles behind the movement are these:

• Organic farming bans use of most synthetic pesticides, chemicals or fertilizers. Many chemicals used in conventional farming have been shown to be detrimental to human, animal and environmental health. These synthetic substances are sprayed on crops or used in soil, meaning that the food you’re eating may be coated with harmful pesticides, that farmland may be contaminated, and that local streams and waterways may wind up full of these harmful chemicals.
• Organic farming uses crop rotation strategies that are said to maintain soil health and nutrient content, which could mean healthier, more nutritious food.
• Organic farming prohibits use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which have been a source of controversy since their introduction into large-scale agriculture in the 1990s. GMO farming practices, consumption, seed patents, and the questionable practices of large agricultural companies that rely on GMOs, may pose threats to our health, the environment, local economies and our food supply. For a good summary of the socio-economic concerns behind GMO food production, click here.

Conventional Considerations

Before you rush to Whole Foods (or lament that you can’t afford to), here are a few things to consider about conventional agriculture (by which we mean agriculture that traditionally turns to technology and chemical solutions to solve the numerous issues that come along with growing healthy produce).

• Many feel that organic farming simply doesn’t produce high enough yields to feed our growing world.
• There are many experts who don’t feel that organic farming is always better for the environment or our health, as organic farming uses its own share of pesticides and fungicides. (Check out this article from Oxford University or this great blog post from Scientific American to see some surprising details.)
• There isn’t a ton of consistent evidence indicating that organic produce has a higher nutrient content than conventionally-grown produce (though one large study from Newcastle University last year did yield some strong results in favor of organic produce).
• There are many who point out that GMOs aren’t necessarily all bad. They have potential to lower food prices, help farmers and communities recover from crop diseases, and help our food supply stay steady in the face of global warming.

Lean Local

To us, at least, it’s clear that the organic vs conventional debate isn’t that simple. We’re certainly no experts, and you can bet we’ll be closely following this issue to gain a more in-depth understanding, and to be aware of what the latest research shows. But, in doing our digging for this article, we were relieved to consistently find that there’s one step you can you take to preserve the environment AND ensure that your produce contains high nutrient contents, regardless of whether it’s local or organic: Buy fresh produce that’s grown as close to home as you can. The benefits of buying local are many, and while the organic vs. conventional debate rages on, shopping for homegrown food means you can rest assured that you’re supporting your community and your health.

Disclaimer

While we’re trying our best to understand which foods to buy to keep our bodies, the economy, and the planet healthy and happy, we’re not experts on the topic of agriculture, nor are we members of the scientific community. The purpose of this article is not to persuade readers to take one side or the other, but simply to share what we’ve found in trying to better understand the debate behind organic and conventional agriculture.