[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Though it’s hard to say goodbye to the luscious fruits of summer, the change in the seasons means there’s all new produce to enjoy at the farmers’ market. Fall fruits and veggies are nutrient-dense and satisfying in the
cooler days of autumn, whether you’re serving them as side dishes or using them in
soups, salads, or baked goods.
Below are some favorite fall foods to put on your plate this season.
Fall Fruits and Vegetables
Sweet potatoes
Though so many people only eat sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving, these nutritional powerhouses are worth adding to your regular rotation in fall and winter. Exceptional sources of
vitamin A, sweet potatoes are also rich in
vitamin C,
B6, manganese and
fiber.
Sweet potatoes are excellent baked whole or cut into wedges and roasted as a side dish. You can also slice and season them like these
cinnamon maple sweet potato rounds, or use baked sweet potatoes to make hearty salads like this
sweet potato black bean salad or
sweet potato and fig quinoa salad.
Sweet potatoes can also be made into nutritious noodles to use in veggie-centric dishes like this
gluten-free pad Thai with sweet potato noodles. They’re also fantastic for baking. Try them in
sweet potato brownies or
paleo sweet potato cookies.
Other flavorful sweet potato recipes to try:
Air fryer sweet potato falafel
Sweet potato flatbreads
Stuffed breakfast sweet potato with coconut, figs, and mulberries
Here are lots more sweet potato recipes to explore.
Brussels Sprouts
The unfairly maligned Brussels sprout deserves a second chance in your kitchen. One of the highlights of the fall farmers’ market, Brussels sprouts are absolutely delicious when roasted to bring out their natural sweetness.
Roasted with nothing but
olive oil, they’re wonderful as a side dish or chopped and tossed with
pasta and parmesan. You can also add spices and fall fruits like this
roasted brussels sprouts with apples and walnuts. Or try them in one of these tantalizing recipes:
Black rice and Brussels sprouts salad
Roasted brussels sprouts and pomegranate salad
Cousin to the better-known carrot, parsnips deserve way more appreciation! Parsnips are tasty roasted on their own or with other
roasted vegetables, or you can use them to make a low-carb
creamy parsnip mash in place of starchy potatoes.
Or try steaming parsnips with sweet fall carrots to make this savory
Moroccan carrot salad.
Some creative cooks make noodles or rice from parsnips, akin to other
spiralized veggie noodles and
cauliflower rice.
Pears
Fall pears not only make a sweet snack, they’re terrific in numerous recipes. Naturally sweet pears are incredible dried or cooked into sauce. Try this
spiced pear butter recipe and enjoy with a warm bowl of
oatmeal or just eat it by the spoonful.
Baked or poached pears make easy, healthy desserts. No sweetener needed in this simple
baked cinnamon pears with walnuts or these elegant
poached pinot pears.
Pears are also wonderful in baked goods of all sorts. Add them to
muffins and quickbreads, or give apples a rest and try this
keto pear crisp recipe.
Winter Squash
So many yummy winter squashes make their appearance in fall. Whether you choose butternut, acorn, ambercup, or one of the other many types of squash in season in autumn, you can enjoy them in dozens of creative recipes. Tender
delicatas with their edible skins are the easiest to prepare, and like most squash, the seeds can be roasted and enjoyed as a snack.
In addition to your basic side of baked winter squash, be sure to try some of the many more surprising ways to enjoy these nutritious veggies.
Adorable acorn squashes make lovely edible bowls. Try stuffing
acorn squash with quinoa and other fall veggies, or try these
festive acorn squash breakfast bowls. Or
stuff a butternut squash with spinach, apples and other goodies and enjoy it as a hearty main course loaded with fall flavors.
Roasted squash adds a delicious sweetness to pizza and pasta dishes. Make your homemade pizza pie seasonal with this
butternut squash pizza recipe. Butternut squash also works well in a
lasagna or can be used to make a
vegan “cheese” sauce.
Give salads a fall twist by featuring squash, like this
chicken and kabocha squash spinach salad or this
roasted squash salad with two kinds of squash
and seasonal Brussels sprouts.
Butternut squashes can be quite large, so after you’ve made
roasted butternut squash black bean tostadas, use the extra to bake into tasty spiced muffins like these
vegan cinnamon-spiced butternut squash muffins.
Of course you can’t forget pumpkin, the most ubiquitous of the fall squashes. Pumpkin season means it’s time for
pumpkin pancakes,
pumpkin bread,
pumpkin soup and so many other mouthwatering
pumpkin recipes. Try new ways to cook with pumpkin, like a
pumpkin curry or some
chocolate covered no-bake pumpkin cookies.
Spaghetti squash is another well worth getting to know. Whether you make
spaghetti squash lasagna boats or
spaghetti squash lo mein, this low-carb substitute is a winner in all kinds of
spaghetti squash recipes.
Here are many more
squash recipes to explore.
Kale
If you’re trying to
add more leafy greens to your diet, look no further than versatile kale. From addictive
kale chips to
hearty kale salads to warming
kale white bean soup, nutrient-rich kale is a top green to eat more of this fall. Find many more possibilities for kale in this collection of
kale recipes.
Another leafy green to look out for at autumn farmers’ markets: Spinach, which becomes astonishingly sweet in cold weather. Fall spinach is fantastic in
salads,
soups,
pasta dishes,
quiche,
dips and so many other
spinach recipes.
Try putting spinach in
smoothies or make a satisfying
green smoothie bowl. You can even add spinach to baked goods (like these gluten-free vegan
spinach and banana muffins) for extra nutrition.
Excited to dive in to some fabulous fall foods? Whip up a
fall harvest bowl featuring kale, sweet potatoes, wild rice, apples and pears to celebrate flavors of the season.
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Parsnips