Crisp apples, pumpkin, warm cinnamon, roasted squash, tart cranberries. Fall brings plenty of familiar flavors to the table, and many of them come with nutritional benefits too.
This season, take advantage of what fall has to offer by adding a few of these foods and flavors to your everyday meals.
Apples & Pears
Fall is prime time for apples and pears. Both provide fiber, which supports digestive health and can help you feel satisfied for longer after eating. They’re also an easy way to add more fruit to your day.
Try them: Slice an apple and pair it with peanut butter, add chopped pears to oatmeal or yogurt, or toss either fruit into a fall-inspired salad.
Pumpkin, Squash & Sweet Potatoes
Pumpkin isn't just for pie or your favorite seasonal coffee. Pumpkin, winter squash, and sweet potatoes get their rich orange color from carotenoids, including beta-carotene, which the body can convert into vitamin A. Vitamin A plays an important role in healthy vision and immune function.
These fall favorites also provide fiber and can bring natural sweetness, color, and plenty of flavor to your meals.
Try them: Stir pumpkin puree into oatmeal or yogurt, blend it into a smoothie or soup, roast cubes of squash or sweet potato, or add roasted vegetables to a grain bowl.
Quick tip: When buying canned pumpkin, look for 100% pure pumpkin if that's what your recipe calls for. Pumpkin pie filling is different and typically comes with sugar and spices already added.
Cranberries
Cranberries may be small, but they pack a big nutritional punch with vitamin C, fiber, and plant compounds called polyphenols. Fresh and frozen cranberries are naturally quite tart, which is why many cranberry products contain added sugar.
Try them: Add fresh or frozen cranberries to oatmeal or baked goods, mix dried cranberries into trail mix, or use them to add a sweet-tart bite to a salad.
Cinnamon, Ginger & Nutmeg
Some of the most recognizable flavors of fall come from the spice cabinet. Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg can bring warmth and flavor to everyday foods without needing to add much sugar or salt.
Try them: Sprinkle cinnamon or nutmeg into oatmeal, yogurt, or coffee, add ginger to roasted vegetables or soups, or combine your favorite fall spices with fruit.
Bring Fall to Your Plate
You don't need an entirely new menu to enjoy the season. A few simple additions can bring fall flavors into foods you already eat. Add apples to your morning oatmeal. Stir pumpkin into a smoothie. Roast squash alongside dinner. Sprinkle cinnamon over yogurt. Try a hearty soup packed with seasonal vegetables.
Fall only sticks around for so long, so enjoy the flavors that come with it!