Fall is one of my favorite times of the year, not just because of the activities, but also because of the food! Yep, I’m your typical “love everything pumpkin spice” type of woman, but beyond that I love the coziness of fall food. It’s a feeling, an energy of comfort, that I just can’t get enough of.

Seasonal eating has always been something I’ve practiced. Even before recognizing the benefits of it, my family was always one to eat with the seasons. As I’ve grown older, I’ve recognized the benefits of adjusting my eating habits and cooking with the seasons.

In this guide I will share the benefits of cooking with the seasons, the fruits and vegetables that are abundant in the fall, and be sure to stay tuned to next week’s blog post where I’ll be sharing a few of my favorite recipes for fall!

Here are 5 benefits of seasonal eating: 

1) Promotes a variety of foods & in turn a variety of nutrients

•  “Eating the rainbow” is not just for skittles ;) eating a variety of colors means eating a balance of nutrients too
•  Different pigments (aka colors of fruits or veggies) mean different vitamins and minerals
•  Green (chlorophyll) = iron, vitamin k, folic acid, potassium
•  Orange, Yellow (carotenoids) = vitamin c, lutein
•  Blue, Purple, White (flavonoids) = antioxidants
•  Red (lycopene) - antioxidants, vitamin c, folate

So you see, the more variety of color you can add into your meal, the more variety of nutrient density! 

2) Foods in season are much more flavorful and nutrient dense

Call me crazy, but I know I’ve tasted the difference from a honeycrisp apple in the peak of fall compared to a fuzzier apple eaten out of the fall season. Or the strawberries eaten in their prime at the beginning of summer compared to the barely red ones shipped in during the winter time. 

Bottomline, instead of fighting against the season and nature’s biological clock, eat with the season for more flavor and more nutrient density.

3) Encourages you to test new recipes and learn new culinary skills

Notice a vegetable or fruit in the front of the store that you’ve never had before? Or see one in this seasonal eating guide for fall that you’ve never even heard of?

GOOD! Go get it, hop on over to Pinterest, and try out a recipe for using it!

Don’t use lack of food knowledge or preparation as an excuse for your mindful nutrition. Be curious! Explore new foods and recipes. Expand your food experiences. This will help you not only eat some really yummy food, it will add variety to your eating which will add new nutrients into your everyday life and new things for your taste buds!

Note: Sometimes this may take a few tries and a few different preparations to help you find the way you enjoy your new foods best!

4) You will help support local business and farmers

Many farmer’s markets stay open through October in the colder states, sometimes even into the beginning of November. September starts a bounty of a harvest for so many yummy fruits and veggies! Check out what farmer’s markets may be near you and support your local economy.

5) Seasonal foods are often cheaper when they are in season

Again, I’ll use the strawberry example. There’s a reason why strawberries are only $2.50 a quart in the summertime and go as high as $5-6 in some areas during the winter time. Shipping, ease of growth, etc. all play a factor here. 

Eating locally and seasonally can often times drop your food bill. No more “eating healthy is too expensive” excuse here!

Now let’s dive into the fruits and vegetables that actually are in season in the fall so you can keep your eyes open for them at the store and at the market!

Vegetables: 

• ACORN SQUASH
• ARTICHOKES
• ARUGULA
• BEETS
• BELL PEPPERS
• BROCCOLI
• BROCCOLINI
• BRUSSEL SPROUTS
• BUTTERNUT SQUASH
• CAULIFLOWER
• CELERY ROOT
• CHARD
• CUCUMBERS
• KALE
• MUSHROOMS
• PARSNIPS
• PUMPKIN
• SPAGHETTI SQUASH
• SWEET POTATOES
• TURNIPS

Fruits: 

• APPLES
• CRANBERRIES
• GRAPES
• PEARS
• PLUMS
• POMEGRANATE

This is not an end all be all list, but this gives you a good idea of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to try out this fall! 

Remember, if there are any fruits or vegetables that you’ve never tried before, let this be your encouragement to pick one or two the next time you’re grocery shopping and give them a try! 

As our elders would often say, “How do you know that you don’t like it unless you try it?”. You may surprise yourself and your taste buds with how much you enjoy some things, especially once you find a recipe love! 

I hope this Seasonal Eating Guide for Fall has helped you expand your knowledge of seasonal eating and encourages you to explore some new foods and recipes this fall!

As I mentioned, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite fall recipes next week, so be sure to subscribe to our email list below to stay up to date on the new blog releases!

If you have learned something new, try a new veggie or fruit from this guide or simply have enjoyed reading, I would love for you to share, save and comment to let me know what your favorite takeaways have been!

Until next time…Happy Fall Eats!

Xoxo,

Jess

PS: If you are struggling with your own mindful nutrition, stress eat or emotionally eat, feel like you’re on the hamster wheel of dieting or want to expand your food knowledge to better honor your body, I invite you to schedule a FREE coaching call with me where I will help you get started on your graceful nutrition and wellness journey! >>Click here to book your free session<<