Phytonutritients for Fall

FALL PRODUCE...Learn to eat with the seasons.


Phytonutrients for Fall

 

People eat more fresh fruits and vegetables during the summer months when many delicious varieties are in season. As Fall approaches and the cold weather begins, people tend to eat fewer fresh fruits and vegetables. Most people do not realize that Fall has an abundant source of ripe produce; you just need to know what to eat!

Plant nutrients called Phytonutrients give plant-based foods their rich pigment and distinctive tastes. "They are essentially the plant's immune system." Phytonutrients help us stay healthy by stimulating our enzymes to help our bodies get rid of toxins. There are thousands of phytonutrients that may help prevent cancer as well as improve cardiovascular and digestive health! You can find phytonutrients in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, spices and tea.

 

Healthy Fall Vegetables to include in your diet!

Pumpkin
Squash
Sweet potato
Broccoli
Dark leafy greens
Carrots
Cranberries
Tomatoes
Peppers
Apples
Plums
Red grapefruit, oranges and tangerines
Figs
Turnips
Beets
Parsnips
Swiss chard
Kale

Here are a few ideas for using these vegetables:

•  Try baking butternut or acorn squash seasoned with cinnamon or nutmeg.
• Squash also works well in pasta dishes.
• Baked sweet-potato fries are another great treat.
• Baked apples with cinnamon make a warm fall treat.
• Make homemade applesauce, or add apples to salad.
• Cranberries are easy to add to muffins, breads, yogurt or cereal.

  

The holiday season is a great time to explore different fruits and vegetables. Consider serving cranberry sauce, butternut squash soup, or pumpkin pie at your house! Traditional recipes can also be adapted to create healthier versions by including some of these nutrient packed foods.

 

  

Excerpt from article by Brooke Whinnem, R.D., L.D.N., C.N.S.C. , November 2008

 

Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital