October 2020 Nutrition Blog
Fall Harvest
Fall has arrived in the Northeast. It is getting dark earlier, there is a crisp chill in the air and the leaves are changing. The summer fruits and vegetables will be less available and more expensive as they travel long distances to reach us, but fortunately we can avoid them all together for now. Let us celebrate the
beautiful, abundant local harvest of autumn! Now is the "me to try new things and enjoy old favorites that are rich in color, taste, and nutrients. Healthy eating may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of apples and pumpkins which are traditionally mixed with sugar and added to flakey pie crusts. However, they are very versatile and offer sweet and savory options that are healthy and delicious.
On your next trip to the market look at all the different squash options to choose from. You will see pumpkin, butternut, delicata, acorn, calabaza and spaghetti. Chances are at least one of these you have not tried, and they are all worthy of trying. If you do a quick internet search you will discover a plethora of recipes for all of these. Winter squashes are great roasted or made into a soup. For carnivores, they compliment any meat especially turkey and pork. Vegetarians can enjoy them with creamy goat cheese or eggs and vegans can add them to a vegetable and bean chili over quinoa. Hearty greens like kale and swiss chard can be the foundation of a warming and grounding salad simply steamed and tossed with homemade vinaigrette. Try Warming spices in new and exciting ways. Add cinnamon to chili, nutmeg to roasted parsnips or turnips and fresh ginger to almost anything! Fresh ginger grated or chopped is a welcome addition to a hot bowl of steel cut oats or an apple, pear or pumpkin smoothy. As we get closer to Thanksgiving persimmons will be available and these are nature’s best kept secret. They appear to be deep orange tomatoes and are often confused for a more savory fruit or vegetable, but this cannot be farther from the truth. Persimmons have a sweet flesh with a firm texture and they maintain their round shape, but they will reach a point where they become so soft that they can be eaten with a spoon and of course as they age the sweeter they become.
Eating a variety of colorful local fall produce will be easy on your wallet and great for your body. These fruits, vegetables and spices o'er numerous health benefits. They are rich in antioxidants like Vitamins A, E and C and well as compounds that reduce inflammation. They will also provide a nice dose of fiber to keep your gut happy. Now is the "me to identify new favorite natural foods that you will long for the rest of the year. Happy Fall Y’all!