After a long summer of fun, autumn is the time to get serious again.
Perhaps you plan to turn from pulp fiction to serious novels. Or maybe you’ll buckle down at work after spending long periods out of the office on vacation.
Fall is also a great time to take a sober look at your diet and make some healthful changes. Fortunately, several foods are both a perfect complement to fall weather, and a tonic for your body.
Following are five great fall foods that also pack a nutritional punch.
1. Pumpkin
A pumpkin’s usefulness goes far beyond life as a jack-o’-lantern on Halloween night, according to Judy Caplan, a Vienna, Virginia-based registered dietitian nutritionist and founder of the GoBeFull program and website.
“They are full of vitamin A, which plays a role in immunity,” she says. That includes fighting off infections and viruses.
A pumpkin’s vibrant orange color is a giveaway that it is rich in beta carotene. This antioxidant is converted to vitamin A inside the body, and is associated with a lower risk of cancer and eye diseases.
Pumpkins also have other benefits. “They also have lots of fiber, and their seeds are fun to roast and eat,” Caplan says.
Canned pumpkin is a good alternative to fresh pumpkin, says Kim Larson, a Seattle-based registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics.
She suggests choosing varieties of canned pumpkin with no sugar added. Combine the pumpkin with yogurt, cottage cheese or smoothies. You also can bake it into breads, muffins and pancakes.
“At 50 calories per cup, it’s a dieter’s dream food,” she says.
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2. Brussels sprouts
Brussels sprouts are a favorite of Caroline West Passerrello, a Pittsburgh-based registered dietitian nutritionist who provides consulting in nutrition education and training, and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics.
“They are delicious, especially when roasted,” she says.
Not only do Brussels sprouts taste good, but they also are nutritious. Eating just four sprouts will give you more than your daily recommended dose of vitamin C, Passerrello says.
Brussels sprouts also are a good source of folate and fiber.
“Folate is especially important for women — even before they are pregnant — to aid in making DNA and helping the body’s cells divide,” Passerrello says.
Make it now: Forbidden Black Rice Salad with Brussels Sprouts
3. Chard
Fall is a great season to eat chard, says Angel Planells, a Seattle-based registered dietitian nutritionist, founder of ACP Nutrition and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics.
Chard is a member of the beet family, but with a twist.
“The difference is (that) it doesn’t produce an edible bulb,” Planells says. “Both the leaves and stalks are edible.”
Chard is packed with nutrients. For example, Planells says 1 cup of Swiss chard has 300 times the recommended daily amount of vitamin K, and 200 times the recommended amount of vitamin A. Chard is also rich in magnesium, potassium and manganese.
Swiss chard also contains lutein and zeaxanthin, which boost the health of your eyes.
Other types of chard include ruby, rhubarb and rainbow chard.
“To maximize absorption, sprinkle a little olive oil on your chard,” Planells says.
Find chard recipes on our blog.
4. Sweet potatoes
A medium sweet potato contains just 100 calories. Yet, that same potato provides you with plenty of fiber and folate, and 130 percent of your daily vitamin A, Passerrello says.
“Vitamin A plays an important role in maintaining normal vision and supporting the immune system,” Passerrello says.
As with pumpkins, a sweet potato’s orange color reveals its rich beta carotene content. And sweet potatoes also are packed with potassium, with a half-cup of plain mashed sweet potatoes registering at 475 milligrams, according to the American Heart Association.
Potassium helps control high blood pressure by countering the effect of sodium on the body.
Check out our favorite sweet potato recipes.
5. Winter squash
Like pumpkin and sweet potatoes, winter squash is loaded with beta carotene and fiber.
“Most Americans do not even get half the daily fiber that we need, so eating these foods is an easy way to add more fiber,” Larson says.
She also loves the taste of winter squash and finds it “comforting” in cold weather.
“I like to roast winter squash whole in the oven or even in the microwave and scoop it for a delicious side, topped with cinnamon,” she says.
Larson also makes butternut squash boats from baked squash and fills them with chili, black beans and rice, turkey taco meat, pasta with veggies or even goulash. “So fun to eat, and versatile,” she says.
Browse mouthwatering butternut squash recipes.