EAT SEASONALLY
EAT SEASONALLY
The Fall is in front of us, at least here in the Northern hemisphere. We could already start enjoying the wonderful products of Fall, the most fruitful part of the year. It is easy to choose what we prefer at this time of year because there is such variety.
To eat seasonally is all about consuming vegetables and fruits which are grown locally and harvested just days (or less) before we eat them. Besides the fact that it’s fresh and usually not treated with chemicals that will preserve their freshness, vegetables and fruits grown in that specific season contain exact nutrients we need at that time of the year. Below is presented a simple list of some very common fall products, which will fully prepare us for the oncoming winter and the lack of energy.
Pumpkin
Pumpkin is a very common Fall product in the majority of countries and consumed in such a huge variety of ways. It has become a symbol of fall, with its beautiful warm color from yellow to orange and almost red but above all, with its content. Lots of C, A, and B6 vitamin, potassium, low energy value, made this winter squash the main ingredient in all salty and sweet recipes. It is a fruit since it contains seeds.
Winter is coming and we will not be able to absorb that much of the sun's light. The pumpkin contains beta carotene which will help us to build an additional reserve for the incoming cold and grey days and keep us healthy and happy.
It is proved that a diet rich in pumpkin can lower the blood pressure, depression rate, and even prevent metabolic syndrome.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 49.
Carbs: 12 grams.
Fiber: 3 grams.
Protein: 2 grams.
Vitamin K: 49% of the RDI.
Vitamin C: 19% of the RDI.
Potassium: 16% of the RDI.
Copper, manganese and riboflavin: 11% of the RDI.
Apples
This simple fruit is globally present in almost all climates and seasons. Collecting the sun's energy during the whole year, apple trees bring valuable fruit. Its benefits were recognized since ever but these days, when we have some unusual and tropical fruits in the reach of our hand, often we forget about apples. Fortunately, in the Autumn, apples are irreplaceable and once again, become our daily habit: in salads, cakes, pies, in the form of cider, syrups, juices, or just baked in the oven with some cinnamon..
Fall season simply smells like apples and cinnamon.
Below are present several facts about apples.
Calories: 95
Carbs: 25 grams
Fiber: 4 grams
Vitamin C: 14% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
Potassium: 6% of the RDI
Vitamin K: 5% of the RDI
Full of fibers and water, apples are ideal for our digestive system as well as overall health. They are nutritious, full of vitamins as presented above, and therefore linked with maintaining good health, weight loss when needed, great for balanced gut bacteria colonies, and therefore, helpful in increasing the risk of diabetes and inflammations in tissues.
In the majority of western countries, apples are the first solid food to be given to babies (mashed) which proves its mild and nutritious nature.
Plums and prunes
People living in the northern hemisphere know Autumn for another two cousins fruits- plums and prunes. Although nutritious fruit, they are low in calories and unusually used either for consumption when fresh or completely cooked-in jams.
Plum or prunes jam is a popular way of preserving fruit for the winter. We could later use it for pancakes, for sweet bakery, or just eating with the spoon. Late autumn morning can’t be imagined without crepes filled with plum jam. The same is for winter mornings, crispy air, hot tea, or a coffee and a couple of freshly baked pancakes/crepes with plum jam.
Now let's see plum nutritional value:
Calories: 30
Carbs: 8 grams
Fiber: 1 gram
Sugars: 7 grams
Vitamin A: 5% of the RDI
Vitamin C: 10% of the RDI
Vitamin K: 5% of the RDI
Potassium: 3% of the RDI
Copper: 2% of the RDI
Manganese: 2% of the RDI
Additionally, one plum provides a small amount of B vitamins, phosphorus, and magnesium.
A 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of prunes contains the following :
Calories: 67
Carbs: 18 grams
Fiber: 2 grams
Sugars: 11 grams
Vitamin A: 4% of the RDI
Vitamin K: 21% of the RDI
Vitamin B2: 3% of the RDI
Vitamin B3: 3% of the RDI
Vitamin B6: 3% of the RDI
Potassium: 6% of the RDI
Copper: 4% of the RDI
Manganese: 4% of the RDI
Magnesium: 3% of the RDI
Phosphorus: 2% of the RDI
Tomatoes
Last but not least on the list of the most favorite fruits of the Autumn season is the tomato. Simple structure, filled with water and fibers, this fruit was used in a variety of different recipes. When it comes to the Fall season, tomato soup is irreplaceable because of its savory taste and content of C vitamins. Health benefit brought by consumption of tomatoes is connected with heart health, maintaining a healthy weight or losing extra fat and overall benefit for the digestive system.
“A recent study in the journal Molecular Cancer Research linked the intake of high levels of beta-carotene to the prevention of tumor development in prostate cancer.
Tomatoes also contain lycopene. Lycopene is a polyphenol, or plant compound, that has been linked with one type of prostate cancer prevention. It also gives tomatoes their characteristic red color.” https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/273031#benefits
32 calories (kcal)
170.14 g of water
1.58 g of protein
2.2 g of fibre
5.8 g of carbohydrate
0 g cholesterol
18 mg of calcium
427 mg of potassium
43 mg of phosphorus
24.7 mg of vitamin C
1499 international units (IU) of vitamin A
alpha-lipoic acid
lycopene
choline
folic acid
beta-carotene
lutein
Savory soup in the evening of rainy November, after a long walk, is somehow the warmest filling and memory we bring to reality every year.
Tomatoes are overused for genetic experiments, because of its simple genome allow manipulations to scientists and for a long time, we consumed poor quality tomatoes. These days we can buy fresh and pesticides-free tomatoes almost everywhere, especially in the late summer, early autumn so it would be a shame not to filled our reserves with the energy they provide. Also, to save some for the winter, we could make tomato sauce and juices and preserve them for winter. The recipe is simple and used in so many countries, with some small variations.
The warm feeling of tomato sauce bottles sight in the pantry in the late Autumn in the middle of the winter is pleasing for every home-oriented family.
