By Janet Domke, RN BSN, and Daphne Baldwin Kornrich, MS, RDN, CSOWM, CDN
Seasonal eating is a good way to add variety to your diet and incorporate new recipes. Fresh autumn produce is available many local farmer’s markets, including brussel sprouts, cauliflower and turnips as well as cabbage and dark leafy greens, pears, apples, persimmons and pomegranates, are there for the picking. Embrace the harvest colors of orange, yellow, white, red and green!
According to the Produce for Better Health Foundation, here is a list of produce available for the fall season: apples, Belgian endive, broccoli, brussel sprouts, butter lettuce, cauliflower, garlic, grapes, kohlrabi, kumquats, mushrooms, pears, persimmons, pomegranates, pumpkins, radicchio, sweet potatoes, Swiss chard, turnips and winter squash, including butternut, acorn and spaghetti.
Switch your salad and take advantage of the seasonal produce and make an autumn salad with endive, radicchio and add some sliced pears, apples with cauliflower and persimmons. Add some roasted sweet potatoes and squash for added flavor.
Pass on the pumpkin latte and try adding pumpkin to oatmeal, smoothies, soups and sauces. Pumpkin is full of fiber and beta-carotene, which provides it vibrant orange color. Beta-carotene converts into vitamin A in the body, which is great for your skin and eyes. To balance pumpkin’s sweetness, try adding savory herbs, such as sage and curry.
Apple picking is fun and apples provide us with wonderful fiber and pectin which helps digestion. Try baked apples or pears with cinnamon and add to oatmeal and salads.
Here are some other ways to get out and enjoy some fall fun:
- Pumpkin picking – Great for decorating, carving and cooking
- Play some flag football
- Collect some colorful leaves and use them to decorate for the season
- Get lost in a corn maze
- Tour some wineries
- Attend outdoor fall festivals
- Collect pine cones – Place them in a bowl for decoration or make a bird/deer feeder with them
- Get the garden ready for spring – plant bulbs
- Start holiday shopping
Fall is the ideal time to get outdoors; enjoy nature and spend quality time with the ones we love!
Janet Domke, RN BSN is the clinical coordinator for the Bariatric Center of Excellence and has been a registered nurse since 2005. She joined the Bariatric team at Mather Hospital in 2014 and is pursuing her certification in bariatric nursing.
Daphne Baldwin Kornrich, MS, RD, CDN has been a registered dietitian nutritionist for the past 30 years, working in a wide variety of clinical and outpatient settings. Daphne currently specializes in bariatrics and weight management.