Healthy Fall Foods

Healthy Fall Foods

Seasonal Produce Picks

The autumn harvest includes a variety of root vegetables and crisp fruits — perfect for creating comfort food meals to enjoy as the weather begins to cool. Send-of-summer foods like blueberries and raspberries may have an encore, while others, like parsnips, make their first appearance of the year. Farmers’ markets are a good place to pick up seasonal produce, and they typically stay open into the fall months. You can also look into joining a CSA (community supported agriculture) where you can buy a share from a local farm. If these outlets aren’t available, your local supermarket will have a good stock of these seasonal produce picks!

Pears

Great for slicing into salads or for cooking, pears are a good source of fiber but low in calories, and are slightly sweet in taste. Put a touch of fall flavor onto the breakfast table with maple, nut, and pear toppings.

Pumpkins

Larger pumpkins are stringy and have less flavor, so choose the small ones for cooking. Slice them in half, remove the seeds, roast them face down on a cookie sheet in the oven until they’re soft, and scoop out the flesh to puree. Then, store the puree in the freezer for later use — it’s great for making pancakes!

Parsnips

Parsnips become sweeter as they’re exposed to cold weather, so fall is a great time to experiment with them in the kitchen. Add them raw to a salad for a nice, sweet crunch. Cooked parsnips are a tasty addition to soups, stews, and stir-fries; or they can be enjoyed simply roasted with olive oil.

Other nutrient-packed fall foods include:

Apples, cranberries, leeks, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, and winter squash (don’t let the name fool you!)

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