5 Fall Foods to Improve Your Health

Did you know many fall foods actually offer impressive health benefits? Fall seasonal foods are rich in vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to support a healthy body, but they’re also undeniably delicious. This season, enjoy more fall foods to improve your health and please your taste buds!

What is Seasonal Eating?

As the name suggests, seasonal eating involves eating with the seasons: fall, winter, spring, and summer. As seasons come and go, so do many foods, like fruits and vegetables. While some can last year-round, most were designed to thrive during a specific season. When a food is in season, it is often the ripest, providing the most nutrients and tastiest flavors. Therefore, eating a diet full of whole foods is the best way to eat with the seasons and meet your body’s nutrient needs.

As we enter into the fall season, we welcome a variety of fall foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals to fuel our bodies all season long.

5 Fall Foods to Improve Your Health

The flavors of fall are savory, sweet, and absolutely delicious. Luckily, many fall seasonal foods are rich in nutrients, too! Enjoy more of these healthy fall foods this season:

Pumpkin

Pumpkin is easily the most popular fall food. And, while it’s known for upgrading lattes and baked goods this time of year, it’s also quite nutritious. Pumpkin naturally provides high amounts of potassium, vitamin A, and fiber. As a result, pumpkin can support immune function, improve cholesterol levels, increase skin health, and reduce free radicals in the body. Pumpkin pie is a must during the fall season, but you can also try roasting it in the oven or adding it to oatmeal, yogurt, or baked goods.

Beets

Beets are known for their beautiful, deep purple color, but they’re not just pretty to look at. They offer many health benefits, cooked or raw, including: stimulating the gallbladder, regulating bowel movements, and decreasing overall inflammation. These impressive benefits are likely due to the high amounts of antioxidants and vitamins (like folate) found in beets. Try shaving beets over a salad or roasting them as part of a veggie medley. Also, beware: beets will likely turn your urine and stool red after consumption! 

Apples

You know what they say: an apple a day keeps the doctor away. All apple varieties are the sweetest, juiciest, and most nutritious during the fall season. They’re rich in vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. As a result, enjoying apples on a regular basis can boost your immune system and regulate the digestive system. Try pairing your favorite apple variety with nut butter or bake a delicious apple crisp!

Carrots

Whole carrots are packed with vitamins and minerals that can work wonders for our health, including vitamin A, vitamin C, zinc, magnesium, fiber, and more. This nutrient-rich root vegetable is known for improving eyesight, increasing digestive function, regulating blood sugar levels, and supporting a healthy immune system. Bonus: raw carrots help bind and eliminate endotoxins from the body, reducing it’s overall toxin burden. Try eating carrots raw with a side of hummus and guacamole or roast in the oven with a drizzle of honey.

Brussel Sprouts

In my opinion, brussel sprouts are the king of the cruciferous family of vegetables. Why? Because they contain more vitamin C than an orange and more vitamin K than red cabbage! Also, as a part of the cruciferous family, brussel sprouts offer high amounts of glucosinolates, which can have antioxidant effects on the body. In addition, brussel sprouts are helpful in stimulating liver and gallbladder function. My favorite way to enjoy brussel sprouts is roasted in the oven with a little grass-fed butter and sea salt. They are also really good in an air fryer with garlic salt and olive oil + balsamic glaze drizzled on top!

Many fall flavors are rich, sweet, and juicy. Yet, they’re loaded with nutrients to keep our bodies healthy and strong. You can enjoy these fall foods in a variety of ways: sweet, savory, or both. So, this season, do your health and taste buds a favor: load up on these healthy fall foods!