If you suffer from foot and leg cramps, you may already know diet can play a significant role in managing your symptoms. You may have heard of or tried home muscle cramp remedies that include bananas or pickle juice. Though they have starkly different flavors, the two foods do have one thing in common: They both contain muscle cramp–fighting nutrients.
Potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium may all help relieve and prevent muscle cramps, and luckily, they’re easy to add to your diet. Read on to find five fall recipes that incorporate foods for muscle cramps.
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes
No other food says “fall” like pumpkin. While you can find canned pumpkin in grocery stores year-round, fall is the ideal season to incorporate the potassium-rich ingredient into your meals. Pumpkin is full of vitamin A and C and is low in calories and sugar. Just make sure you’re buying canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix.
Warm up on chilly fall mornings with these whole wheat pumpkin pancakes, topped with sliced bananas, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a drizzle of syrup.
Loaded Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are also available all year long, and for many muscle cramp sufferers, they’re a go-to food. Not only are sweet potatoes rich in potassium—one medium sweet potato has 15 percent of your daily value—but they’re also high in magnesium, calcium and vitamin A. Plus, sweet potatoes naturally have a lot of water in them, so they can help keep you hydrated, too.
For easy lunches or dinners, roast or microwave a few sweet potatoes and load them up with your favorite ingredients. Here are a few healthy ideas to help inspire you.
Pear and Pomegranate Salad
Another quick and healthy lunch option is salad—and with pears, pomegranates, and dark, leafy greens, yours can be packed with potassium, magnesium, calcium and fiber. Start with a base of spinach and/or kale, and then add sliced pears, pomegranate seeds, and your favorite nuts and seeds for extra magnesium. (One ounce of toasted sunflower seeds has about 37 milligrams of magnesium; one ounce of roasted, salted almonds has double that.)
Toss with this complementary sweet and tart dressing, and enjoy!
Southwest Turkey Chili
Who doesn’t love comfort food like chili in the fall? Switch up the seasonal favorite with a Southwest twist. Black beans and avocado make a delicious pair and deliver lots of potassium. One avocado has about twice as much potassium as a sweet potato or banana, while a cup of black beans contains 17 percent of your daily value.
Try this healthy, flavorful, one-pot Southwest turkey chili recipe from the Cookie Rookie.
Salmon With Roasted Butternut Squash
Impress your family and help relieve leg and foot cramps with this elegant but simple fall dinner. Since muscle cramps can be caused by poor blood flow, eating oily fish like salmon can help. Salmon is full of potassium (15 percent of your daily value), vitamin D and omega-3, all of which may help relieve muscle cramps. Plus, salmon has anti-inflammatory effects, which can help prevent muscle cramps. Paired with butternut squash, you get the extra benefits of vitamin A, magnesium, fiber and even more potassium.
Don’t overthink this dish. A little olive oil, salt and pepper are all you need for the salmon. For the butternut squash, roast with sliced apples and a dash of brown sugar for a sweet and savory fall-themed side dish.
Additional Muscle Cramp Remedies
In addition to the foods listed above, you should incorporate lots of water as well as light stretching and massage into your daily routine. Theraworx Relief can also help. When applied twice daily, the fast-absorbing foam can relieve and even prevent muscle cramps and spasms before they start. Learn more and order your bottle from the Theraworx Relief website.