Fall Fruit and Vegetables

Picking fruit and vegetables is a family activity for some, and an agronomical activity for others. Each season, each month brings its very own products to Quebec’s agricultural industry. Did you know that fruit and vegetables picked just when they are turning ripe contain more vitamins and antioxidants than those picked prematurely and ripened during transportation? Let me help you discover some of fall’s fruit and vegetables!

Apples
Have you ever heard the saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”? It is partly true if we consider that an apple contains an average of 2.5 g of fiber. These help slow down digestion, which makes us feel full even longer, in addition to helping us maintain a healthy weight. Apples also have many other qualities, such as impressive quantities of vitamins C, K, and antioxidants, and are also low in calories. During fall, they can be mixed in muffins, sorbet, stuffing, and salsa, and can also be added to pancakes and salads, as well as being simply delicious to crunch!

Squash
Of all of Halloween’s traditions, carving and decorating pumpkins is, without a doubt, the most fun and gourmet of all! However, do not waste the inside of the pumpkin! The flesh of squashes contains a whole range of vitamins and minerals: iron, manganese, copper, and vitamins A, B, C, and K. Prepare a pottage with butternut squash, replace pasta with spaghetti squash, savour seasoned, oven-baked acorn squash pieces, or replace the traditional potatoes with pureed squash. Any idea is good!

Cranberries
This slightly acid fruit is harvested from September to the end of October. Like all other berries, cranberries are high in antioxidants. They contain, in particular, resveratrol, which is a compound with many health benefits that is also found in red wine, as well as flavonoids, which are naturally occurring in red, blue, and brown foods. Rarely eaten raw, cranberries can be eaten dried or mixed in sauces, muffins, cookies, and homemade granola bars.

The fruit and vegetables of the fall period also include garlic, eggplant, broccoli, celery, Brussells sprout, red beans, onions, and tomatoes. This year, why not be a more responsible and environment-friendly consumer by supporting local growers?

By Vanessa Martin

Fall Fruit and Vegetables is a post from Nautilus Plus. The Nautilus Plus blog aims to help people in their journey to fitness through articles on training, nutrition, motivation, exercise and healthy recipes.
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