5 Under the Radar Fruits and Vegetables to Try This Fall
Summer is gone. When the weather starts to get cooler, it seems all attention turns to apple and pumpkin. While these seasonal favorites are delicious and nutritious, you might be overlooking other fantastic fruits and vegetables in your pumpkin spice haze.
While you can enjoy most fruits and vegetables year-round, many taste better and are more affordable when in season. Coming off a bounty of summer produce, autumn, too, has a lot to offer. These fall fruits and vegetables, and accompanying recipes from registered dietitians, can help make the transition from flip-flops and shorts to scarves and boots a little more palatable.
[See: 6 Fruits and Vegetables You Should Eat This Fall.]
1. Brussels sprouts. Before you flashback to the boiled Brussels sprouts served in your middle school cafeteria, give these pint-sized cabbages -- cooked the right way -- a chance! Full of fiber, Vitamin K and folate, Brussels sprouts are a tiny, cancer-fighting cruciferous vegetable that belongs on your plate. You'll find them in the store all year. But Brussels sprouts love cooler temperatures, so peak harvest begins in September. If this recipe for Roasted Maple-Mustard Glazed Brussels Sprouts from Julie Harrington of RDelicious doesn't make you fall for this underappreciated veggie, nothing will.
2. Delicata squash. Butternut squash gets lots of much-deserved attention this time of year. But delicata squash flies under the radar. With a flavor that's similar to butternut squash and an exterior rind that's easy to slice through, delicata squash deserves its share of the spotlight. It's is an excellent source of vitamin A and a good source of vitamin C. Roasting intensifies the squash's sweet flavors, so try this Maple Roasted Delicata from Katie Cavuto.
3. Parsnips. The parsnip lurks in the shadow of its popular cousin, the carrot, but this white root vegetable has plenty to offer all its own. October begins the peak harvest, and it may be harder to find them throughout the year. When they're in season, I usually find parsnips in a single row near the carrot corner of the produce department.
Parsnips are a good source of vitamin C, potassium and folate, making it a heart healthy choice. In addition, just one cup of sliced parsnips packs six grams of filling fiber. Parsnips are naturally sweet and quite versatile. You can enjoy them in many of the same ways you'd cook carrots. Boil them and use a food processor or blender to create a smooth parsnip puree, roast them for parsnip fries or slice them in chunks to add to soup or stew.
Rosemary is the perfect herb to complement sweet, roasted parsnips in these Roasted Rosemary Parsnips from Deanna Segrave-Daly of Teaspoon of Spice.
[See: 10 Tips for a Healthy Fall.]
4. Turnips. September marks the beginning of the harvest for turnips. You can enjoy turnips from root to stem. The roots are a source of vitamin C, while turnip greens provide vitamin A and K and fiber. Like other leafy greens, turnip greens are also a good source of folate, a key nutrient for heart health and proper tissue growth and development. Unlike some of the other greens, such as collards and kale, turnip greens are tender and cook quickly. While many are familiar with turnip greens, the roots don't get much attention. Try these Turnip Mashed Potatoes from Diane Boyd of Cape Fear Nutrition for a slightly healthier mash this fall.
5. Persimmons. With a sweet, juicy flavor, persimmons are a welcome addition to the fall plate. Persimmons usually start to ripen around October and are an excellent source of fiber and vitamins A and C. This Creamy Blue Cheese and Persimmon Crostini from Katie Morford of Mom's Kitchen Handbook is a fun way to enjoy persimmons as an appetizer or elevated snack.
[See: 8 Healthy Activities for Fall.]
New seasons offer the opportunity to try something you haven't had before. So with fresh options rolling into supermarkets and farmers markets, now is a great time to load up on these fall foods that might soon be your new seasonal favorites.
