My Favorite Nourishing Fall Foods
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It’s my favorite time of year! The leaves are turning, the heat has passed, and the morning air is crisp and cool. Fall is my favorite season. I love pulling out my heavy sweaters, throwing on hats, and wearing my favorite boots. But there is nothing I love more than the food. I know many unhealthy foods often come to mind when we think about the changing weather and the approaching holidays, but contrary to popular belief, I actually find this time of year one of the easiest ways to get nutrients in. While I love a good smoothie and all of the delicious fresh fruits of summer, fall comes with nourishing broths, soups, root vegetables, and the opportunity to make all of the sourdough goodies!
What is seasonal eating, and why is it important?
A couple of years ago, we started implementing seasonal eating into our home. Seasonal eating just means that you eat the food (specifically produce) around the time that it is harvested. When you eat seasonally, the produce is at it’s peak ripeness, which means it’s full of flavor and at it’s highest in nutrients. Our bodies are incredible, and so is nature. Foods grown in the fall have actually been found to have higher levels of Vitamin C and antioxidants. This is perfect because this is also when we start to see sickness is on the rise.
We recently helped my in-laws with their garden, and the harvest was bountiful! We ended up with a lot of beets, tomatoes, pumpkins, zucchini, butternut squash, and patty-pan squash. I’ve been working tirelessly in the kitchen to wash, cut, puree, and freeze all of my garden goodies. And we’ve been saving a lot of money on groceries since we have so much produce!
My favorite and most nourishing fall foods:
Bone Broth: One of the most incredible super foods; bone broth is high in protein, collagen, and nutrients. It is great for joint support, gut health, and helps with muscle repair and growth. We love to make our own. I buy an organic chicken from the store every week and cook it. We usually eat the breast for one of our meals, and then we shred up the rest of the meat to go in some sort of soup or other meal during the week. I then use the chicken carcass to make our own bone broth! We also occasionally purchase a portion of a cow, and I save the bones to make broth with throughout the year. It’s incredibly simple and it is way cheaper than purchasing bone broth from the store! But if cooking a whole chicken isn't your thing, or if you can’t find beef bones, try out this bone broth that you can easily add to your soups and stews!
Pumpkin: I’m guilty of going a little crazy with all of the pumpkin goods in the fall, but who can blame me? Pumpkin is high in beta carotene, which helps to optimize immune system function. It is also high in nutrients like Vitamin C, E, and folate, all of which are known to help strengthen the immune system. Lately we’ve been loving this pumpkin chili recipe by Farmhouse on Boone.
Mushrooms: You either love them or hate them, but no matter how you feel about the flavor and the texture, there is no denying all the amazing health benefits. Mushrooms are full of B vitamins, and are also known to help your body make antioxidants. They are also high in fiber and help to detox the liver. I recommend boiling your mushrooms in water for a few hours before adding them to your dishes, as this will help to release toxins and maximize the nutritional benefits. If you just can’t get over the slimy texture, I highly recommend this organic mushroom supplement.
Liver and organs: Yes, you read that right! Often disregarded as a gross and unnecessary part of the animal, the liver and the organs are typically the portion of the animal highest in nutrients. Beef liver, specifically, is incredibly high in copper and Vitamin A. Heart is a great source of naturally occurring enzymes, and are great for blood pressure! The kidneys are not only full of nutrients, but they are a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, and are known to help lower inflammation, blood pressure, and help with blood flow! I often will grind up beef liver and add it in with our ground beef, but if that’s not your jam, Perfect Supplements has desiccated beef liver powder that you can add to your food, or they have multiple organs in capsule form, so you don’t have to worry about the taste!
Artichokes: an incredibly underrated food; artichokes just recently started becoming part of our diet! We have always loved a tasty artichoke dip, but it wasn't until we recently went to Spain and experienced the best artichokes we had ever tasted, I finally decided we needed to start making them at home! Artichokes are incredible for liver and kidney function. Liver function is vital for helping with the digestive system, but also helps to filter the blood and get rid of bacteria and viruses!
I hope this list of nourishing fall foods will help you to stay nourished and well this fall season!
