By the time fall comes around, it’s easy to get a little complacent when it comes to your health and wellness goals. But don’t give in to the temptation to sit back and sip hot cocoa and munch on pumpkin cookies all day! To keep your energy levels high and your health strong through the end of the year, take the time to plan healthy fall meals you and your family will enjoy eating. Here’s a healthy fall recipe idea to get you started.
Roast Chicken and Sweet Potatoes
This meal contains enough flavor and warmth to keep you nice and toasty when the weather starts to turn cold. It’s also full of healthful ingredients that can boost your immune system and help prepare your body to fight off the many different colds and other illnesses that seem to circulate with greater intensity in the fall. In less than an hour, you can have this mouthwatering dish plated up and ready to enjoy.
Ingredients
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1 large red onion (cut into wedges approximately 1-inch thick)
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1 ½ lbs. skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
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2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
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2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
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2 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
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2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1-inch pieces
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½ tsp. freshly ground pepper, divided
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½ tsp. salt, divided
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 450⁰ F. Preheat a large-rimmed baking sheet by placing it on a baking rack in the lower third of the oven.
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Combine 1 Tbsp. olive oil with the thyme, mustard, and 1/3 tsp. each pepper and salt in a small bowl. Spread evenly on top of the chicken thighs.
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Add 1 Tbsp. oil to a small bowl, then toss in the sweet potatoes, onion, and remaining salt and paper. Mix until all ingredients are coated with the oil and salt and pepper mixture.
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Using an oven glove, remove the preheated baking sheet from the oven and carefully spread the vegetables onto it.
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Place the chicken on top of the vegetables.
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Return the baking sheet to the oven and roast for about 30 to 35 minutes (or until the vegetables are tender and starting to brown and a thermometer inserted into the chicken shows 165⁰ F). Stir the vegetables halfway through the cooking time.
This recipe makes four servings and is a delicious way to celebrate the aromatic flavors of fall vegetables. To make this recipe even more flavorful, serve with a fall salad containing a mixture of fresh greens, blue cheese, and sliced apples.
If you’re looking for more ways to stay healthy and fit this fall and beyond, consider visiting Newport Medical and Wellness Center. You’ll find a variety of services intended to improve your physical and mental health and wellness. If your goal is to lose weight, you may want to ask about Optifast meal replacement options. These meal replacements are designed to meet nutritional needs while suppressing appetite for optimal weight loss. There are also fitness programs available to help you tone up and improve your strength and posture while simultaneously shedding the extra pounds just in time for the upcoming holidays.
