Guide to Eating Seasonal in Autumn

What does autumn mean to you? To me, it means pumpkins + pumpkin spice, lots of apples, and fall holidays! Growing up on Long Island, autumn brought brightly colored leaves, time to put on a jacket or two + I got to pick the perfect pumpkin for my jack-o-lantern. The local farms opened their doors to picking + eating the wonders of fall crops! It was always bitter sweet because the days got shorter and shorter + that meant more time inside with the snowy winter days getting closer. Eating yummy + cozy fall foods was, and still is, comforting + nourishing this time of year. This Guide to Eating Seasonal in Autumn will help!

Tara’s Tuesday Tips:

Guide To Eating Seasonal in Autumn

Just like my days growing up on Long Island, eating seasonal in autumn is easier + more cost effective as the local farms produced lots and lots of fall produce. Even if you don’t live in a place that naturally has abundant fall harvests, your local grocery store does! Simply walking into any store and you will quickly know what is in season. It is on sale + right by the front door! Easy!

The best part? When you eat produce that is in season it is less expensive, higher in nutrients, and much fresher. Additionally, by adding lots of healthy autumn foods, we naturally crowd out the unhealthy foods by choosing the brightly colored produce growing naturally this time of year!

I absolutely LOVE autumn! Seriously, I really do! The entire month of October was just published in my list of favorites (here it is if you missed it: My Favorite Things Vegetarian). To help you embrace autumn with the same amount of love as I have for this wonderful season, my tips this week include a complete list of fall foods. I have also included my personal favorites at the bottom with my recipes and how I use them. This list of in-season produce will vary somewhat depending on where you live. Likely, you have access to some of these year-round (not just in autumn) but now is the time to eat lots of them! Trust me here … local, seasonal, autumn foods will taste + look so much better!

What Does Eating Seasonal Mean?

Simply put, the term “eating seasonal” means eating the fruits and vegetables that grow naturally during a specific time of year. Naturally – without genetic modification or intervention. This isn’t typically the way we eat. As a society, we tend not to eat seasonally as most of us have access to a wide variety of produce all year round. This is such a wonderful luxury that we have all grown accustomed to (me included!). However, this is not necessarily what is best for us and for the planet as a whole.

Just because something is available in the grocery store doesn’t mean it is in season. But, eating seasonally helps ensure your body is nourished with what it needs without lots of chemicals that completely throw your body out of whack. By eating seasonally, we avoid produce that has been ‘forced’ to grow when it isn’t its natural time to grow. We also avoid having our produce travel long distances to reach us. When our out-of-season produce must travel those long distances, it must be picked before it is ripe and therefore does not contain the same nutrients, vitamins, and minerals as its seasonal counterparts. It is also sprayed with extra pesticides to ensure its integrity upon arrival miles away. Eating in-season or local produces allows us to avoid this unnecessary chemical exposure.

Top 5 Reasons To Eat Seasonal in Autumn

Affordability
Freshness
Tastes better!
More nutritious
Better for the environment

Listen To Your Body

Our bodies are very smart! In winter we crave heavy, filling, fatty foods. In spring we tend to crave lighter meals + have less hunger cues (spring cleaning!). Summer cravings are for lighter + fresher + cooler foods. In autumn, everywhere you turn there is a new pumpkin spiced something. Don’t silence the cues your body gives you. Craving something cold? Make Pumpkin Spice Nice Cream or a fall salad. Need a healthy fall dessert? You have come to the right place! Remember, as the temperature drops, our bodies naturally want balance + will gravitate to warmer, hearty foods. Eat instinctively + naturally in autumn and every season! Have a love-hate relationship with pumpkin spice? Me too! You will love my letter: Dear Pumpkin Spice Season (A Letter From A Food Blogger).