As the summer months close, finding affordable fruits and vegetables to add to your meals may be harder. A local farmers market is a great way to stay current on produce and shop locally.
An easy way to add fall produce into your meal plan is to add sweet potato. Sweet potato is rich in many vitamins, including A, B6, and E. Vitamin A plays a key role in retinol because of its beta-carotene. Vitamin B6 aids in brain development and immunity. Vitamin E helps maintain the health of your brain, skin, and blood. Sweet potatoes can be added to meals by baking or boiling them. You can bake the sweet potato whole by turning your oven to 425(degrees) and baking for 40 to 50 minutes or adding to boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes. You can add sweet potato as a side to any main dish, including:
Baked chicken with sweet potato and vegetables
Burger with a side of diced sweet potatoes
Vegetable soup with sweet potatoes inside
Another easy fall vegetable to add to your diet this fall is carrots. Carrots are rich in vitamins A, C, K, and B vitamins. Vitamin K is essential in the process of blood clotting. Carrots are rich in other minerals, including potassium, fiber, and antioxidants. Adding carrots to your diet can be as easy as eating them raw as a snack or adding them to a meal by baking. You can bake carrots by adding olive oil, turning your oven to 425(degrees), and baking for 20 minutes. You can add carrots to meals like:
Pot Roast with baked carrots
Grilled Chicken Salad with carrots
Carrots and Nut Butter as a snack
Green beans are the perfect fall vegetable to add to your dinner plate. They have vitamins A, C, and K and are great potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium sources. Green beans are cheap and easy to prepare by adding them to a baking sheet with olive oil and salt, turning the oven to 425(degrees), and baking for around 15 minutes. You can add green beans to dishes including:
Grilled chicken and green beans
Steak, sweet potatoes, and green beans
Burgers with a side of green beans
Get in the fall spirit by adding pumpkin to your plate. Pumpkin is high in vitamins A, B6, E, and K and is rich in iron, copper, potassium, and magnesium. Pumpkin is easy to add to dessert recipes including breads and muffins. It makes for the perfect after dinner treat.
Comment below how you added these delicious fall vegetables to your meal plan! Be on the lookout for a health fall pumpkin bread recipe coming soon!
Want to work with a dietitian who specializes in digestive nutrition? Schedule a FREE 30-minute discovery call with Danielle here.
This post has been reviewed by Danielle Starmer RD, LDN. Written by Emma Wilson 11/1/2023
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