Eat Your Fall Fruits and Veggies!
Fall is my favorite time of year for many reasons. I was always a sucker for back to school season. I love the smell of new notebooks and pens. Plus, it is tights and boots weather. Boyfriend’s grandpa cardigan weather. Cuddle by the fire with a book weather. And then the food! Remember all those songs you learned in elementary school about the bounty of the season? About giving thanks for what we have? It’s easy to forget in our super market world what we are meant to be eating in the fall, so here is a quick reminder. This is your ABCs of fall vegetables and fruits as per Carolyn Scott of The Healthy Voyager, with a few edits by me.
- Beets — Good source of folate, vitamin C and potassium, plus antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support. Great roasted as a side dish or in a salad.
- Cabbage — Excellent source of vitamin K and vitamin C. It is also a very good source of fiber, manganese, folate, vitamin B6 potassium and omega-3 fatty acids. Plus thiamin (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), calcium, magnesium, vitamin A, and protein. Use in soups or stirfrys or stuff and bake (recipe to come).
- Cauliflower — A great source of folate, fiber and vitamin C. Roast with some bread crumbs and red pepper and serve as a side.
- Parsnips — High in folate and vitamin C. Roast them as a sweet substitute for potatoes.
- Pumpkin — Pumpkin is high in vitamins A and C and folate. So many ways to use pumpkin! Pumpkin soups, pumpkin ravioli, risotto, pie, mash…
- Squash — Like pumpkin, the remaining winter squashes are also good sources of vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium and fiber, and a good source of folate and thiamin. There are many different squashes to try… my favorite being acorn and butternut.
- Sweet Potatoes — The orange color is a give away that they are high in beta carotine, plus vitamin C and B-6, fiber, copper and potassium. A much more healthful alternative to regular potatoes, but can be used almost anywhere you would want a potato.
- Swiss Chard — these ultra green nutrient rich leaves are high in vitamins A and C and iron. This green gets a whopping 670 points on the ANDI nutrition index. A simple way to add greens ( a la my boyfriend): wilt them with a little bit of olive oil, lemon, garlic and sea salt. .
Fruit
- Apples — An apple a day keeps the Doctor away was the old saying, and can be true because apples are high in fiber (great for digestion) plus pack loads of vitamin C. They are the star of the season. Bake them, mash them into apple sauce, eat raw or include in savory dishes such as salads and pork chops.
- Clementines — Like oranges, clementines are a good source of vitamin C, fiber and folate. These are a great snack on the run or tossed into a child’s lunch.
- Cranberries — Full of vitamin C and fiber, plus probiotic qualities that most women already know about. Delicious in salads, breads and sauces or when all else fails, juice!
- Figs — Figs are a good source of potassium which helps regulate blood pressure, plus they are one of the richest in fiber foods out there. Try my prociutto wrapped figs as a great appetizer or slice them in salads or bake them into a pie. DELICIOUS.
- Grapes — When shopping for grapes, the deep purple and red varieties have the most nutritional value. They contain polyphenols (antioxidants) and resveritrol, pretty much the substance that has been named the “fountain of youth”. Eat raw or try my Black Seeded Grape Sciacciatta or even a glass of red wine.
- Pears — Pears are high in fiber and vitamin C. They make a great addition to a winter salad, pared with a little bit of goat cheese.
- Pomegranates — The pomegranate has been touted for it’s antioxidents recently, but it is also great source of iron and vitamin C. A fun fruit to eat, if not difficult, but the seeds are great in salad or used to top a main.
MORE on all of this later, but for now ENJOY YOUR FALL FRUIT AND VEG!
