Delicious Fall Foods That Offer Maximum Health Benefits

Paula Gallagher on
Stuffed sweet potatoes - one of the many great ways to cook healthy fall vegetables.

Summer is almost gone… along with beautiful summer produce like tomatoes, strawberries and peaches (some of my favorites), but there are still plenty of delicious fruits and vegetables ready for harvest now. These foods are at their peak nutritional content during the fall, so it would be a great idea to add these to your diet.

Fantastically Healthy Fall Foods

Dark Orange Vegetables

Foods like sweet potatoes, butternut squash and pumpkin, are rich in beta carotene, potassium, calcium, vitamin C and antioxidants. Squash, in particular, offers so much versatility. With so many shapes, sizes, colors and flavors to choose from – butternut, banana, acorn, Hubbard, turban, spaghetti, delicata, delicious, gold nugget, marblehead, and of course, pumpkin – there's no reason to be bored with squash. It can be used in anything from smoothies to main dishes, and even in desserts.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Foods like turnips, collards, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, cabbage and broccoli have cancer-fighting ingredients called "indole alkaloids." These veggies are also abundant in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Many of these vegetables are also high in sulforaphane, a phytonutrient that boosts our body’s natural detoxification enzymes and can help clear cancer-causing substances from our system. Studies have indicated sulforaphane may also inhibit the growth of colon cancer and help control the spread of late-stage breast cancer cells.

Pomegranates

Nature's candy. These are powerhouses of antioxidants that specifically work to protect the brain and boost memory. Research has also shown that pomegranates can prevent hardening and thickening of arteries.

Beets

Rich in betacyanin (giving beets their purple/red color), which has been found to possess a cancer-fighting ability. Beets are also a good source of folacin, vitamin C and potassium, and they also have other terrific health benefits including lowering blood pressure, boosting stamina, fighting inflammation, helping with detox, and more. Beets are easy to prepare and can be eaten raw (grate them into a tossed salad!) or cooked. They have an earthy, sweet taste and are popular juiced.

Grapes

Grapes have substantial amounts of vitamins such as B6, B1 and C, but they also contain phenolics. Phenolics, sourced from the skin of grapes, decrease the risk of developing heart disease. One such phenol is resveratrol, a natural compound that has anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antioxidant properties.

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