Top 3 Foods to Support Blood Sugar This Fall 🍂

Elevate Your Season, not your blood sugar!

Fall brings cooler days, cozy flavors, and seasonal produce that can do more than just comfort you, they can also help keep your blood sugar steady. Balanced glucose isn’t just about avoiding spikes and crashes; it’s about creating a foundation for steady energy, sharper focus, and long-term health.

While it’s easy to get swept up in pumpkin spice lattes and sugary seasonal treats, fall also offers some of the best whole foods for blood sugar control. Apples, legumes, and warming spices are not only delicious, they’re naturally supportive of your body’s glucose response. By incorporating these into your daily routine, you can enjoy the flavors of the season while keeping your energy stable.

Here are the top three fall foods to lean on for blood sugar control, plus easy and tasty ways to enjoy them.

1. Apples 🍎

• Apples are the fruit most associated with fall, and for good reason. Orchards burst with crisp, colorful varieties this time of year, from tart Granny Smith to sweet Honeycrisp. But apples are more than just a seasonal staple; they’re also a blood sugar–friendly powerhouse.

  One of the key reasons apples help regulate glucose is their fiber content, particularly soluble fiber known as pectin. Fiber slows down digestion and the release of sugar into the bloodstream, which helps prevent those sharp glucose spikes and dips. Eating an apple with its skin also provides additional fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants.

  Apples are also rich in compounds like quercetin and chlorogenic acid, antioxidants that may support insulin sensitivity and overall metabolic health. That means they don’t just keep you steady in the moment—they may also contribute to long-term blood sugar balance.

  How to enjoy apples for balance:

  • Classic snack: Slice an apple and pair it with almond butter. The fiber from the apple and healthy fats from the nut butter make the perfect combination to keep you full and steady.

  • Warm dessert: Bake apple slices with cinnamon and a sprinkle of allulose (a natural zero-calorie sweetener) for a simple, low-sugar dessert.

  • Indulgent upgrade: Layer apples into an Apple Pie Donut Loaf made with Planet Bake Vanilla Donuts for a cozy, blood sugar–friendly treat that feels indulgent but won’t send your glucose crashing.

2. Lentils & Legumes 🌱

Legumes, like lentils, chickpeas, and beans, are another fall food group that deserves attention. Known for being rich in plant-based protein and soluble fiber, they help keep glucose levels stable by slowing carbohydrate absorption.

Studies show that regularly eating legumes can improve insulin sensitivity and lower the glycemic impact of meals. That means less dramatic spikes and a smoother energy curve throughout the day. They’re also nutrient-dense, providing magnesium, iron, and B vitamins—all important for metabolic health.

Fall is the perfect season for hearty, warming legume-based dishes. Whether you prefer soups, stews, or roasted snacks, legumes are versatile enough to work in every type of meal.

How to enjoy legumes for balance:

• Comforting stew: Simmer a pot of lentil soup with garlic, onions, carrots, and thyme for a hearty, blood sugar–friendly meal prep option.

• Snack swap: Roast chickpeas with olive oil, smoked paprika, and sea salt until crispy for a crunchy alternative to chips.

• Balanced chili: Mix black beans or kidney beans into chili for protein and fiber that make comfort food a little more functional.

3. Cinnamon & Warming Spices 🌿

Nothing says fall like the aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and ginger. But these spices aren’t just seasonal flavor enhancers—they also play a role in blood sugar regulation.

Cinnamon, in particular, has been studied for its ability to improve insulin sensitivity and lower fasting blood sugar. Some research suggests it may help reduce post-meal glucose spikes, making it an excellent spice to use in cooking and baking if you’re looking to support balanced energy.

Spices like clove, nutmeg, and ginger also contain compounds with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which support overall health. And the best part? These spices add sweetness and depth of flavor without the need for refined sugar.

How to enjoy warming spices for balance:

• Morning boost: Stir cinnamon into your coffee, matcha, or tea instead of reaching for sweetened creamers.

• Baked goods: Sprinkle spices into oatmeal, smoothies, or homemade muffins for a cozy, blood sugar–friendly kick.

• Easy indulgence: Treat yourself to a Planet Bake Cinnamon Donut, sweetened with allulose and made without refined sugar or preservatives. It delivers all the fall flavor you crave—without the glucose crash.

A shoutout to our friend Anjali at Anjali's Cup, who makes and sells the best Chai Concentrate. 

Bringing It All Together

Fall is the perfect season to align your eating habits with foods that naturally support blood sugar balance. By leaning into apples for fiber, legumes for protein, and cinnamon for its metabolic benefits, you give your body tools to stay steady and energized.

The key is pairing these foods smartly:

• Fiber + fat (like apples with almond butter)

• Protein + fiber (like lentils in soup or beans in chili)

• Flavor without sugar (like cinnamon in your coffee or baked goods)

And when you want something sweet? That’s where Planet Bake donuts come in. Made with real ingredients, sweetened with allulose, and crafted to be sugar-free, gluten-free, and plant-based, they let you enjoy indulgence without compromise. Whether you’re recreating our nostalgic Apple Pie Donut Loaf or savoring a Cinnamon Donut with your morning coffee, you can feel good knowing your treat is working with your body—not against it.

Blood sugar balance isn’t about perfection or restriction, it’s about small, consistent choices that add up. This fall, focus on:

• Fiber-rich fruits like apples 🍎

• Protein-packed legumes like lentils and chickpeas 🌱

• Spices that support balance like cinnamon 🌿

By weaving these foods into your daily meals, and enjoying better-for-you indulgences along the way, you can experience the cozy comfort of fall while staying steady, energized, and nourished.

🍩 Ready to add balance to your season?