Soon the days will be shorter and the nights will be cooler, bringing on our natural tendency to want to hole up for the next few months and console ourselves with comfort food. There’s certainly nothing wrong with doing that once in a while (after all, who doesn’t love a good chicken pot pie?!), but before it becomes a habit, weave in some menu options that will still leave you feeling warm and cozy – without decimating your healthy diet.
Below are a few wholesome picks from fall’s fresh crop of fruits and vegetables, including ideas for hearty – yet healthy – autumnal recipes.
Apples are an excellent source of vitamins C, K and B6, plus they’re low in calories and high in fiber. Fall is prime time for picking, so keep an eye out for unbruised, firm flesh with unbroken skin, and then enjoy the proverbial “apple a day” with the Food Network’s 31 days of apple recipes here.
Broccoli is a hardy vegetable that is harvested in late fall when the heads are dark green in color and compact in appearance. Keep fresh florets in the fridge for about a week for healthy munching – or blanch and freeze them for quick access to this nutritional superstar all winter long. For a delicious twist, try Ina Garten’s Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli.
Cranberries are too tart to be eaten as picked, yet delicious when boiled into compotes or baked into a variety of fall dishes and desserts. Instead of loading up on sugar in an attempt to mask the natural flavor, however, try complementing this berry with ingredients, such as citrus, to make it shine. Check out Cooking Light’s take on traditional recipes here.
Eggplant – it’s not just for parmesan anymore. This shiny, purple berry (yes, you read that correctly – it’s actually not a vegetable) acts as a great base for everything from dips to sauces, plus it’s a good source of dietary fiber, potassium, manganese, copper and thiamin (vitamin B1). Click here for some healthy eggplant recipes and cooking tips from Eating Well.
Figs are an all-natural energy source, and a handful – either dried or fresh – provides five grams of dietary fiber or 20 percent of the daily value, along with a host of other helpful nutrients. FitSugar celebrates this ancient fruit here with seven healthy recipes for late summer and early fall.
Leafy greens (think collards, mustard greens, kale, cabbage and spinach) are one of the top foods you can put on your plate, according to dietary experts. They’re densely packed with nutrients and considered superfoods, rich in calcium, magnesium, fiber and vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as heart-healthy folate and carotenoid antioxidants. Bon Appetit offers the following recipes here, guaranteed to make your other veggies green with envy.
Pears are popular year-round, but available in an abundance of varieties in the autumn months. Packing plenty of fiber, plus vitamin C and potassium, pears typically need to be ripened after purchase, so avoid fruit that is bruised, blemished or extra hard. Click here for recipes from Epicurious, plus tips for this favorite fall fruit.
Pomegranates may take a lot of work to disassemble, but those tangy, burst-in-your-mouth seeds are well worth the effort. Snack on them by the handful, sprinkle them on salads or drink a glass of pure juice for a massive amount of antioxidants. Or give one of Huffington Post’s 13 best recipes for pomegranates a whirl here.
Pumpkins are fall embodied. Perfect for baking and full of seeds for toasting, they’re a tasty source of vitamins and minerals, particularly beta-carotene, vitamin C and potassium. And if you’re looking for alternative recipes to the usual pie, Women’s Health offers these so-good-they’re-scary fall pumpkin recipes for your pre-Halloween get togethers.
Squash is not only one of the most colorful fall veggies, but it’s also one of the more versatile. Extremely easy to cook and loaded with potassium and fiber, it can be added to soups and salads, as well as broiled, baked, stewed and sautéed. Taste of Home highlights a harvest of healthy squash recipes here.
Sweet potatoes are rich in potassium, beta carotene, fiber, iron and calcium, not to mention that one baked, medium-sized sweet potato contains 438 percent of your daily value of vitamin A – all at a mere 105 calories. Tempt your taste buds with Health’s top 25 sweet potato recipes here.
