by The fall festivals coming up this year don’t just serve up festive fun – they also serve up some healthy and delicious dishes for everyone.
Autumn, which officially begins on September 22 this year, is a great time to take advantage of fresh produce that can provide essential vitamins and health benefits, medical experts advise.
“Fall is a great time to do a lot of roasting and baking,” Stephanie Di Figlia-Peck, chief registered dietitian at Northwell Health Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York, told Fox News Digital.
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“When roasted, some fruits and vegetables are caramelized and that adds a lot to their natural sweetness, making them more mellow and delicious,” she said.
Di Figlia-Peck, a certified diabetes care and education specialist, said fall fruits and vegetables are versatile and can provide strong flavors to many meals on cold, crisp fall days.
Fall fruits and vegetables are versatile and can provide strong flavors to many meals on cold, crisp fall days. (iStock)
“Dried fruit has a concentrated flavor, so it works well in baked dishes, casseroles and salads,” she said.
Here are five popular and healthy fall fruits and vegetables – as well as secrets on how to incorporate them into delicious dishes.
1. Cranberries
Cranberry bogs not only serve as a popular location for fall visits, they also provide a healthy fall dish.
Dr. David Gentile, an integrative medicine physician at Oasis Integrative Medicine in Rocky Point, New York, educates patients about healthy eating and disease prevention. Cranberries are a great high-antioxidant treat, he said.
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“They also contain d-mannose, a monocyte medicine that helps reduce the incidence of urinary tract infections by reducing the ability of bacteria to adhere to the bladder wall,” he said.
“I personally love making cranberry compote from scratch, using low-glycemic sweeteners,” he said.
A cranberry and turkey sandwich is shown here. Cranberries – a superfood – are high in antioxidants and may help prevent disease. (iStock)
He said, “Cranberries are great as a side [during a] a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, or even some Greek yogurt as a nice dessert.”
Cranberries contain compounds such as anthocyanins, procyanidins and flavonols that have shown potential cancer prevention effects, according to a 2018 study published in the Journal of Science and Food and Agriculture.
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Also, cranberries may have a positive effect on heart health and cholesterol while protecting against inflammation in the intestines and bacteria called H. pylori in the stomach, the study noted.
2. Apples
Apple picking is a popular way to get some healthy fruit on your table while having fun.
Apples may help protect against cardiovascular disease, researchers have found.
Eating one medium-sized apple a day may help lower cholesterol, blood pressure and inflammation, according to a study in the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition.
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“Apples are a great low glycemic fruit with quercetin, flavonoids and polyphenols, which help with tree cell stabilization, allergies and general antioxidant benefits,” said Gentile.
“Apples are great for cleaning teeth while we chew them. They are convenient to carry as a snack, and they are great to use with other meals, baked together with meat and/or healthy desserts,” he said.
Apples are “convenient to carry as a snack, and are great to use with other meals, baked with meat and/or healthy desserts,” said Dr. David Gentile of Rocky Point, New York. (AP Photo/Heather Ainsworth)
Dr. Ken Zweig, an assistant professor of medicine at the Georgetown and George Washington University medical schools in Washington, DC, told Fox News Digital, “An apple a day could keep the doctor away.”
“As a doctor, I joke that apples are my nemesis, but I have one every day.”
Zweig, also a physician at Northern Virginia Family Practice in Arlington, Virginia, said, “Apples are high in fiber, vitamin C and other beneficial compounds.”
He added that “studies have shown that apples can lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease and even prevent diabetes. As a doctor, I joke that apples are my nemesis, but I actually have one every day.”
3. Pumpkin
Pumpkin picking is high on the to-do list for many families during fall—and the fruits can help create delicious and healthy family meals.
“Most of us think of pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin pie and pumpkin muffins when we think of this fall fruit – and yes, it is a fruit – [but] none of it [those things are] healthy,” Zweig told Fox News Digital, referring to muffins, donuts and more.
“Pumpkins are very high in beta-carotene, which is in the form of vitamin A.” (iStock)
“However, roasted pumpkin, pumpkin soup and pumpkin seeds can be quite healthy,” he said.
Pumpkin is loaded with fiber and vitamins, Zweig added, and is typically low in calories.
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Laura Feldman, assistant professor of nutrition and director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics at Long Island University in Brookville, New York, told Fox News Digital, “Pumpkins are very high in beta-carotene, which is a form of vitamin A. “
Beta-carotene, she said, “helps you see clearly and also acts as a powerful antioxidant.”
In addition to their use in traditional baking dishes, pumpkins can be used to make soups as well for “a cozy bowl full of wonder.” (iStock)
When making foods with pumpkin, “be sure to use plain pumpkin rather than pumpkin pie filling to avoid added sugars,” Feldman said.
Roasted pumpkin seeds make a healthy and delicious snack that’s also high in nutrients, including zinc, which she said supports a person’s immune system.
Pumpkins can be a healthy comfort food on a cold day, Gentile said.
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Aside from their use in traditional baked dishes, pumpkins can be used to make soups, which Gentile described as “a really great cozy bowl.”
4. Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes are in season during the fall—and they’re another delicious way to eat important nutrients.
They are also higher in vitamin A than regular white potatoes.
Also, “sweet potatoes are a great way to enjoy baked potatoes with a lower glycemic index than traditional white potatoes,” Gentile said.
A sliced sweet potato is shown. “Sweet potatoes add color and nutrition to a meal,” said one health professional. However, they can be high in calories, so “don’t rely on them for weight loss,” said another health expert. (iStock)
“In addition to the amazing flavonoid antioxidant benefits, sweet potatoes add color and nutrition to your meal,” he said.
Those with diabetes or other blood sugar issues “may benefit from limiting high GI foods,” Healthline noted. That’s why some people are told to choose sweet potatoes over white potatoes, the same source noted.
How potatoes affect a person’s blood sugar “depends a lot on the type of potato, the portion size and the cooking method,” Healthline added.
So, “while some varieties of sweet potatoes may have a lower GI than regular potatoes, others do not.”
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“Sweet potatoes are a starch, so don’t rely on them for weight loss,” Zweig said of this vegetable.
He also noted, “A lot depends on how these are prepared, so if you add loads of butter or brown sugar, as we often do at Thanksgiving, this food will have no nutritional benefit. “
“Regular potatoes and sweet potatoes can be enjoyed as part of a healthy eating pattern,” a representative for Potatoes USA told Fox News Digital.
5. Beets
The peak season for beets is late summer through late fall—and studies show that this fall delicacy may help lower blood pressure.
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Beets have nitric acid, Gentile said, which helps with vasodilatation, the process that widens the blood vessels in the body and improves blood flow.
Beetroot – a source of natural chemicals called nitrates – is displayed at a farmers market. Studies suggest that a diet rich in nitrates may have a beneficial effect when it comes to improving the cognitive function of the brain. (iStock)
Since beets are a source of nitrates, they may play a role in brain health. Studies suggest that a diet rich in nitrates may have a beneficial effect when it comes to improving the cognitive function of the brain.
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Beets are also a great source of betaine, which aids digestion, Gentile told Fox News Digital.
“They are high in glycemic index, but they are great when eaten as either an appetizer or a small side,” said Gentile.
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He added this recipe: “Beets are delicious, especially when baked. They go great with goat cheese.”
