Fall is in the air. You can see the beautiful changes in the color of the leaves, the crisp feel of the breeze, and the wonderful fresh fall fruits and vegetable. There is nothing like a crisp apple, fall pears, or warm pumpkin pie. But there are a lot of other delicious seasonal fall fruits and vegetables. This month we are going to explore ways to achieve the recommended fruit and vegetable intake of five servings a day while enjoying delicious seasonal foods.

Did you know that fall is the time of year for pomegranates, artichokes, beets, eggplant, Swiss chard, mushrooms, broccoli, and peppers? We can’t forget however our favorite October vegetable - the pumpkin. A fall celebration and Halloween would not be complete with at least one pumpkin recipe. Think of the possibilities of all these wonderful fruits and vegetables. Not just nutritious – but also very delicious.

To get our mouths watering for those tasty delights, let’s look at the nutritional values of these seasonal fruits and vegetables. Remember the darker the color of the fruit or vegetable the more vitamins and minerals the food has. So this season is packed with nutrients.

Here are just a few of the advantages of these seasonal offerings:

Peppers are a good source of vitamin C and fiber, vitamin A, E, K, as B complex vitamins, and the minerals manganese and potassium. Peppers come in a variety of colors and their intensity of heat. They can be incorporated into a variety of dishes to add color and nutrients. Try tossing sliced peppers into a stir fry for color, crunch and great taste and nutrition. Diced peppers can also be added to your ground meat for hamburgers and meatloaf for added flavor and nutrition. If you dice them small enough the kids may not even know they are in there!

Pomegranates are an excellent way to increase your intake of vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, copper, vitamins C, K, A, and B complex. They are tasty just fresh or can be made into wonderful sauces and marinades.

Plums are another tasty powerhouse fall fruit. Delicious as a fresh snack or cut into a crisp or pie they provide vitamins K C, A, and B complex. They also provide the minerals manganese, copper and potassium.

Pumpkins (yes, even in a pie) are a tasty way to increase your vitamin A intake. They are also a great source of vitamins C, E, B complex and copper and iron. Who knew nutrition could taste this good!

Did you know that Swiss chard not only is a great source of vitamin A but can be used in many different ways? The traditional steamed Swiss chard can be jazzed up with some sesame oil and gluten-free soy sauce for an oriental flare or roasted garlic and olive oil for a Mediterranean flare. But it can be also chopped and added to cabbage to make very nutritious and colorful coleslaw.

Eggplant can be used in main dishes or as delicious ethnic sides. Eggplant parmesan is a fall favorite. But eggplant is also great in ratatouille as well as a main course as baked stuffed eggplant. All of these dishes are great ways to enjoy the nutritional benefits of the beautiful eggplant. Eggplant may look plain but they are a powerhouse of nutrients. They are good sources of fiber, folate, potassium, manganese, vitamins C, K, and B complex.

When we think of beets we often just think of plain steamed beets. But they not only offer a rich source of Vitamins C, K, A, folic acid, as well as iron, calcium and phosphorus. The good news is they are so delicious and can be used in a variety of recipes. Beets can take center stage in a marinated salad with mandarin oranges and feta cheese for a great lunch dish, or cut up and roasted with potatoes and turnips as a warm fall side dish.

Now that we have wet your appetite for the flavors of fall don’t forget to check our recipe section for many of the recipes mentioned above.