I love fall. Layers, perfect knits, pumpkin patches and apple picking. Air is crisper and dusk comes a little sooner. The segue into cooler months is the best time to shift eating habits. Turning your focus inward cleansing with fall foods increases energy, improves digestion and prepares the body for winter.
Get eating—Here are my favourite fall staples:
Apples: This antioxidant-rich fruit helps reduce inflammation and is linked to heart and lung health. Easy healthy on-the-go snack, or chop up and simmer with cinnamon for a warming treat. Even more fun, pick them yourself. Not like you need something else to do with that apple a day, but seriously try adding a Granny Smith into your morning green smoothies for an extra added punch.
Brussels sprouts: High in fiber and vitamin C, this cruciferous vegetable can help lower cholesterol levels, and contain phytonutrients associated with cancer prevention. You can roast or sauté sprouts for a delicious side dish. This is one of my favorites and it is so easy. Definitely not like grandma made. Every time I make my version of brussels, they are gone.
Onions: This staple provides anti-inflammatory benefits and protects cells from oxidative stress. It can help lower the risk of colorectal, laryngeal, and ovarian cancers. Add raw onion to salads or cook chopped onion in soups, stews, and stir fried dishes.
Sweet potatoes: Despite their sweet flavour, sweet potatoes help balance blood sugar. They are also a good source of beta-carotene and vitamins B6, C and D. Baked, in soups and stews and kids love them cut up like fries and baked. This warm winter salad is bursting with flavour and antioxidants and OMG so good.
Winter Squash: These gourds are rich with fiber, which is good for digestion and heart health. They also contain cell-protective antioxidants, including beta-carotene and vitamin C. Bake or steam squash and season with digestive spices—black pepper, cardamom, coriander, cumin and tumeric—for a healthy main or side dish. Here’s my all-time fall fav soup.
Pumpkin: These festive fall favs are rich addition to soups or stews, and are loaded with vitamins A, C and E, beta carotene and fiber. Save the seeds and toast them for a snack rich in zinc and heart-healthy fats. Obsessing over this nutrient dense smoothie.
Beets: Whether grated, raw, roasted or boiled beets are bursting with nutrients promoting heart health and cancer prevention. These harvest rubies a good source of dietary fibre, vitamin C, magnesium, iron and potassium. Beets have also been shown to lower blood pressure. And did you know that eating them may also help beat sugar cravings! Feeling chippy? These chips rock my world.
Cranberries: Crazy high anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties, cranberries are a great source of vitamin C, fiber, and manganese, as well as a good source of vitamin E, vitamin K and copper. Make sure when buying dried cranberries, there are no added sugars.
What fall produce are loving? Share with us here.