What Fall Cravings Are Really Telling You
When fall hits, many of us feel the sudden urge to make a spiced tea, roast every vegetable in the house, or cozy up with something creamy and carby. These cravings aren’t just about comfort, they’re often our body’s way of asking for seasonal support and that support will be different depending on one’s body type and where one lives. Fall in Florida (humid air) is not the same experience as a fall in Vermont (dry mountain air) so climate can totally shape our internal state. This goes for moisture levels, circulation, digestion, and etc, which all shape the cravings that show up.
Of course, that instinct eventually got turned into a trend and made marketable, but the wisdom behind it is real.
Fall cravings are also physiological. Your body is incredibly intelligent and seasonal. As the weather shifts, your terrain shifts too. You lose more moisture to the dry and cold air. Your circulation slows down. Your nervous system gets a little more tender. And your digestive function, if not supported, starts to sputter. Slower circulation means your body needs more nourishment that sustains. So of course the body starts asking for comfort: Root vegetables like carrots, beets, sweet potatoes to ground us, Healthy fats to insulate us, Warm spices to rekindle internal warmth and slow-cooked meals to support digestion and repair. I really love this type of year because it naturally calls for this kind of deep, nourishing care.
Craving butternut squash soup with a side of sourdough isn’t just cozy, it’s medicine. When I started understanding the physiological qualities of food and how the seasons impact the body, everything just clicked for me. I stopped fighting my cravings and started listening to them. What I found was that fall tends to bring out dryness, sluggish circulation, depletion, and stagnation in a lot of people so craving creamy, earthy, spiced foods is often your body’s way of saying “Hey, we need warmth. We need grounding. We need more moisture.”
It’s not about eating everything in sight. It’s about listening deeper. Choosing nutrient-dense, warming foods over empty seasonal fluff. So next time you crave mashed sweet potatoes, roasted carrots with ghee, or a warm oat bake with apples and cinnamon, lean in and enjoy. Your body knows the season better than your calendar does.
