10 Great Fall Foods

Summer is coming to an end, and that means you're going to miss some of the favorite tasty seasonal summer foods that you've enjoyed over the last few months. However, don't rest your taste buds just yet. The fall season is marked with some of the most nutritious and tasty harvests you'll ever enjoy. 

Your local farmer's market is going to bloom with apples, pears, pumpkins, broccoli and other heartier vegetables in season that rank highly on the nutrition chart.

Here is our list of 10 great fall foods that shouldn't miss in your autumn food basket. We've also included multiple ways you can enjoy your treats. Read on

1: Pumpkin

This great fall food is full of health benefits. It is laden with beta-carotene, which your body converts to Vitamin A. Pumpkin also nourishes your body with potassium, lots of fiber and Vitamin C.

You can enjoy pumpkin in various dishes, including pumpkin spice latte, roasted pumpkin, pumpkin bread and pumpkin puree in muffins and oatmeal. You can also make yourself a blend of pumpkin beer and still enjoy the wholesome benefits of this nutritious fall food.

2: Pears

Pears make it to this list of the 10 great fall foods for its numerous health benefits compared to many fruits and vegetables in season. Pears served in various forms come packed with Vitamin C, plenty of metabolism-boosting fiber and potassium. 

This fruit also helps to upscale your brain function, regulate heart health and maintain muscle and nerve function.

Tasty varieties include pear compote, cinnamon-arnise poached pears, celery root with pear puree, gingered pears with parsnips and the delicious pear-pecan upside-down cake. The blue cheese and pear also make a heartier pear food.  

3: Broccoli

Broccoli contains the valuable sulforaphane compound that works effectively in treating and lowering cancer risk. Broccoli is also rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin K. 

You can enjoy roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower or Broccoli pizza toping during this fall season.

4: Apples

Apples is a valuable fruit to enjoy this autumn as its various servings, including caramel apple, apple cider, baked apple with fennel, chopped apple salad and apple pie come with health perks. 

A single serving will enrich your body with flavonoids that improve brain function. You'll also get fiber as well as Vitamin C in plenty for reduced risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Besides, the polyphenols present in the skin of the apple fruit have lung repairing properties.

5: Brussels sprout

Roasted Brussels sprout or a Kale with Brussels sprout meal will provide you with plentiful antioxidants for great health. What's more, a cup of Brussels sprout is packed with 4g of fiber, which helps prevent constipation.

6: Butternut squash

This fall will offer you fruits and vegetables in season in plenty; hence, you'll have various squash harvests to pick from --talk of butternut, spaghetti and acorn squash.

Squash is loaded with beta-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, fiber and magnesium. These nutrients will support eye function and maintain a healthy heart and kidneys.

There are many ways to prepare a squash meal. Some of the popular recipes include butternut squash soup, roasted butternut squash with cinnamon and butternut squash posole, among others. 

7: Sweet potatoes

Your basket of 10 great fall foods is not complete without sweet potatoes. This root tuber is rich with Vitamin A, Vitamin C and fiber. 

You're free to try out a series of recipes such as garlic mashed sweet potatoes, curried sweet potatoes and sweet potato with beet.

8: Cranberries

Cranberry balsamic roasted chicken or a cranberry pancake is most people's fall favorite food, and for a good reason too. Cranberries are laden with fiber, Vitamin C, and anthocyanin. It is great for improved blood pressure and reduced oxidative stress 

9: Parsnips

Parsnips can be served as raw salads or as soups. You could also experiment with parsnips beef stews, French fries or stir fries. 

A fall food rich with fiber and Vitamin K to help with blood clotting, parsnips also contain folate, a source of Vitamin B. This vitamin element facilitates cell division and the manufacture of DNA.

10: Blueberries

To round up our top 10 great fall foods list, we decided to include blueberries for their nutritional significance. Blueberries will ensure your body is provided with anthocyanin that lowers the risk of heart disease this fall season. 

This fall harvest is also rich with fiber and Vitamin C, which will support your immune system as we battle out the COVID-19 pandemic.

These are some of the best fall foods that will make you live healthily and have a fuller autumn as you brace for the winter. As you've seen, they contain most of your daily nutritional value and hence make a good choice at your dining table. 

Enjoy these fall foods in their various varieties to spice up your daily dishes.

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