Eating in-season foods is always a good choice.  By choosing to eat with the season you will add variety to your menu.

There are many benefits to eating foods that are in season:

• Foods that are in season are more flavorful because they are fresh and picked prior to ripeness
• In-season foods are at their peak nutritional level.
• Since in-season foods will are  available in abundance, they tend be more affordable.
• Seasonal produce is easier on the environment because they can be cultivated without much human assistance like pesticides and genetic modification.

The best thing about Fall is that there are plenty of delicious superfoods in season! You can spice up your menu, boost you’re nutrient intake, and reduce you environmental impact by loading up on these superfoods this fall.

Four Fall SuperFoods

Pears

Pears are a high-fiber fall superfood! In fact, pears are one of the highest fibre fruit available at the market. A medium pear has 5.5 grams of fiber. An American Heart Association study found that people who ate a diet high in white-fleshed veggies and fruits (like pears) reduced their risk of stroke by 52 percent! Experts attribute this benefit to the high fiber and nutrient content found in white-fleshed fruit and veggies. If you are looking for a new way to incorporate pears into your menu, try this Warm Chicken & Grains Salad with Pears & Blue Cheese from Clean Eating Magazine.

Spaghetti Squash

By swapping out your pasta for nutritious spaghetti squash you can save 170 calories per a cup!  In addition to beging a calorie-reducing alternative to noodles, spaghetti Squash is also a good source of magnesium. which has a calming affect on the body, and potassium, which helps to lower blood pressure. So relax and try this delicious spaghetti squash dish, Baked Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Butter from the Steamy Kitchen.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin gets its beautiful color from the vitamin, beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is a valuable antioxidant that can fight off cell-damaging free radicals which speed up aging and make you vulnerable to chronic diseases and cancer. Pumpkin’s nutritional powers don’t stop with beta-carotene. Pumpkin is a low-calorie food that keeps you full because of  its high dietary fiber content. A half cup of pumpkin has only 40 but packs in an impressive four grams of fiber!

Do you want to pass on the pie but still get some pumpkin? Try this recipe for Pumpkin Mac and Cheese from the website Chocolate Covered Katie.

Dates

Researchers at the London metropolitian university studied the nutritional benefits of dates and stated that, “In many ways, dates may be considered as an almost ideal food, providing a wide range of essential nutrients and potential health benefits.” Dates have a rich flavor and a rich combination of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Dates are a good source of:

• fiber,
• potassium,
• Vitamins B, A, and K,
• The minerals copper, magnesium, manganese and selenium,
• 23 types of amino acids
• and the unsaturated fatty acids:  palmitoleic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids.

Wow! If that impressive list has you eager to eat some dates try this recipe for a Bali Banana Date Smoothie from the popular food blog Skinny Taste.

There are many tasty and  nutritious superfoods in-season this fall.  Try to incorporate as many as you can into your diet.  By doing so, you will enjoy new flavors and improved health!