Autumn is here and so are delicious autumn seasonal fruit and veggies.
Eating fruit and vegetables when they are in season is a great idea for many reasons. Firstly, produce is cheapest when it is at its most abundant. If you are working to a tight budget, eating seasonally can dramatically reduce your grocery bill!
Secondly, fruit and vegetables contain the greatest number of nutrients when they are allowed to ripen naturally. For instance, avocados sold in winter have often been picked early then frozen or chilled to prevent them ripening too quickly. Nutrients are lost this way and you can taste it - when you eat them, they're not nearly as good.
We know through studies conducted on supermarket produce that one week after harvest, many fruits and vegetables have lost up to 80% of their nutrient levels.
Given the high levels of stress that modern living places on us, it is vital we get as many nutrients as possible from our food sources.
Finally, as the days draw shorter it’s time to embrace seasonal produce to boost our immune system leading into the colder months.
Root vegetables alongside vitamin C rich fruits are available at this time of year – nature’s natural way of supporting our health as the season's change.
When eating in season, this aligns with our natural movement patterns and daylight hours. When it’s cooler outside, it is the ideal time for including a mixture of lightly sautéed, stewed and cooked produce to give our digestion a rest after the summer season of salads and raw fruit.
Lightly steaming or sautéing your veggies as well as adding leafy green veggies to roast vegetable salads will keep you energised and nourished.
To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of the fruits and veggies that are in season during autumn.
SEASONAL AUTUMN VEGETABLES
Pumpkin
Brussel Sprouts
Kumura
Cabbage
Kale
Onions
Parsnip
Celeriac
Swede
Beetroot
Baby Carrots
Agria Potatoes
Squash
SEASONAL AUTUMN FRUITS
Figs
Apples
Pears
Feijoa
Lemons
Limes
Grapefruit
Quince
Keep an eye out for our seasonal autumn recipes this week on the blog, Facebook and Instagram. We'd love to see your seasonal creations. Share them with us on Instagram using #bepurebenwarren or tag us @bepurebenwarren for your chance to be featured.
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