Healthy Orange Colored Recipes To Try This Fall

Spooky season is here and that means getting festive with orange-colored foods! Of course, we are committed to helping you show up as your best self so we are sharing with you some healthy diet recipes to try this October. 

Did you know that orange-colored foods are actually extremely healthy for us? The antioxidant beta-carotene is what gives orange foods their orange color. Beta-carotene is what gives us healthy skin, hair, and vision. What you heard as a kid was mostly true, you might not notice your eyes sparkle, but eating your carrots really does help improve your eyesight!

Yellow-colored fruits and vegetables are also super beneficial for us, but for different reasons. While the yellow color does not contain beta-carotene, it does contain a load of Vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that is a natural immune system booster. It helps us fight off infections and improve our overall good health and immune function. 

Here are our top 5 orange food picks to try this fall:

1) Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut squash soup is the most perfect fall recipe. It looks like fall, smells like fall, and tastes like fall. It is easier than it sounds and is great for meal-prepping. Make a big batch and put it in the freezer for those busy days so you can just grab and go!

This butternut squash recipe by Love And Lemons is healthier than the traditional recipes because it does not include any heavy cream, chicken stock, or butter!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 (3-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• ½ tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 3 to 4 cups vegetable broth
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, salt, and several grinds of fresh pepper and sauté until soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the squash and cook until it begins to soften, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, sage, rosemary, and ginger. Stir and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant, then add 3 cups of the broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the squash is tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Let cool slightly and pour the soup into a blender, working in batches if necessary, and blend until smooth. If your soup is too thick, add up to 1 cup more broth and blend. Season to taste and serve with parsley, pepitas, and crusty bread.

2) Sweet Potato Skillet

This sweet potato skillet is so yummy and can be perfect to bring for Thanksgiving dinner! If you’re looking to make thanksgiving a bit healthier this year, substitute your sweet potato and marshmallow casserole for this balanced diet skillet recipe. This is also an awesome recipe to make in bulk and freeze or use for your weekly meal planning dish.

This recipe by Our Paleo Life is healthy and delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 Sweet Potato
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• 1/2 tsp Dried Parsley
• Ground Cinnamon, to taste
• 2 tsp Coconut Oil

Instructions

1. Peel and dice the sweet potato into bite size pieces, about 1/2" cubes.
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the coconut oil.
3. When the oil is hot, add the potatoes. Stir to coat all of the pieces with coconut oil and add salt, parsley, and cinnamon. Mix well.
4. Cook the potatoes, stirring occasionally, for about 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn, but make sure they get nice and crispy. You may need to cook them, longer, it just depends on the size of your skillet and the heat of your stove.
5. Remove from heat when they are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.
6. Serve warm. Store leftovers in the fridge for a week. Can be reheated in a skillet to crisp them back up.

3) Immune Boosting Energy Drink 

Now that the weather is cooling off in autumn, it is important to keep our immune system functions working at its best. Smoothies and superfood powders are the perfect immune system boosters and especially needed around the common cold and flu season. Smoothies can be packed full of vitamins, antioxidants, and nutrients we need for digestion and avoiding illness and infection.

Here is one of Aila’s favorite smoothie recipes that include our orange colored  immune system booster superfood powder.

Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen mango chunks
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 scoop of Aila’s Peach Energy + Immune superfood powder
• 3/4 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
• 1 small raw red beet, chopped
• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 1 orange, blood orange, or grapefruit
• 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
• honey to taste (optional)

Instructions

1. In a blender, combine the mango, lemon juice, Energy + Immune superfood powder, ginger, and orange juice. 
2. Blend until completely smooth, adding more honey if needed to sweeten. 
3. Combine the beets, raspberries, orange, and pomegranate juice. 
4. Blend until smooth and creamy, adding more pomegranate juice if needed to reach your desired consistency. 
5. Pour into a tall glass, top with seeds, if desired. Enjoy!

4) Roasted Carrots 

This recipe by Bobby Flay is another great, easy and healthy dish to include in your Thanksgiving meal this year. It is healthy, but still delicious! It takes about 15 minutes in total so it is a great dish to add to your daily recipe tool belt as well. This is the perfect recipe for when you feel like something warm and cooked, instead of a boring salad!

Ingredients

• 6 large carrots, peeled
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for water
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 
2. Add the whole carrots (cut them in half if they don't fit in the pot) and cook until just cooked through for about 8 to 10 minutes. 
3. Drain and cut carrots into 1/2-inch thick slices.
4. Whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, cumin, cayenne, and salt in a large bowl. 
5. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until emulsified and stir in the parsley. 
6. Add the cooked carrots and toss to combine. 
7. Serve cold or at room temperature.

5) Orange Protein Balls 

These are our favorite treats to make! These no-bake orange protein balls by Florida Orange Juice are great to make and keep in the freezer for when you need a sweet treat or a morning energy boost. We add our peach-flavored superfood powder to these protein balls. This makes these balls the perfect natural immune system booster to enjoy on a daily basis, before the gym, before work, or whenever you want a quick snack.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. Florida Orange Juice
• 1 cup Energy + Immune powder
• ¼ cup cashew butter
• 1 cup almond flour

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the Florida Orange Juice and cashew butter. Stir until smooth.
2. Mix in the vanilla protein powder and almond flour, stirring to combine completely.
3. Using your hands, roll dough into balls approximately one inch in size.
4. Top with shredded coconut, sesame seeds, or chopped nuts for garnish if desired.
5. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Aila’s peach-flavored superfood supplement is the perfect immune system booster and is packed with antioxidants, vitamins, natural energy sources, and immune-boosting ingredients. This is the perfect powder to keep you healthy and thriving this fall and winter. Use it as a pre-workout supplement, or use it in different recipes to get your daily dose of immunity. Check out all of Aila’s superfood powder products and let us help you become the best version of yourself!