A little leaf falls from a tree, and whispers “Remember me?”
We’re so sorry to break the news to you: Summer is on the way out. But you knew it already. Look around you. The leaves are changing colour, and falling to the ground on the breath of the wind. The mornings are darker and the evenings are longer. But this is all good. We love Autumn here, because it means the start of a whole new season, and the beginnings of new obsessions too! This week we’re talking about super foods for Autumn, and we’re excited to share them with you!
Pumpkin
Of course! Now, if you like yours in the form of a pie, look away now. We’re talking super foods here, so foods that are going to make you look and feel great, not pile on the pounds for Winter! And pumpkin has the potential to do so much for you! Packed with vitamins C and A, plus folates, pumpkin has the ability to aid growth and development, help the body to absorb iron, and to boost cell renewal and fetal development for pregnant women. We love pumpkin risotto at this time of year, or why not try a simple pumpkin dip?
To make it you need:
- 1 large pumpkin, diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp chill
- black pepper
Simply place the pumpkin, garlic, and spices in a large roasting dish and coat with the olive oil. Roast at 200/ gas mark 6 for 45 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Serve with your home made bread, as mentioned in this post here– remember we use the pulp from our juices to make a healthy carb free alternative!
Sweet potatoes
SO much nicer than regular potatoes, and way more nutritious too! Sweet potatoes really come into their own in the Autumn, so do look out for them next time your order your veg. Sweet potatoes are fantastic because they are crammed with goodness- Vitamins A, C and B6 for growth and development, antioxidant function and iron absorbtion and healthy brain function; copper to aid the promotion of healthy red blood cells and to maintain bone health; calcium for for strong bones and teeth; potassium to regulate water and mineral balance and iron too. They make a wonderful alternative to regular chips, if you’re that way inclined, but we also love them in a simple soup:
To make sweet potato and ginger soup you need:
- 3 cups water
- 3 cups peeled, diced sweet potato
- 1/2 cup peeled, fresh julienne ginger
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt
Bring the water to boil in a large saucepan before adding the rest of the ingredients. Cover, reduce the heat and allow to simmer gently for 30 minutes. Blend when cooked, and serve immediately.
Beetroot
A super food if ever we heard of it! Packed with folates, potassium, vitamin C and betaine (which aids cardiovascular health) the humble beetroot is always top of our menu come Autumn. It’s an incredibly versatile ingredient too- use it raw in juices, or get creative by baking a cake, making a risotto or even caviar! We prefer to keep it simple though, by roasting it in chunks with a tiny amount of olive oil, and serving it up with whatever we’re eating. Lovely!
Apples
Who can resist the good old British apple? All year round, apples are amazing, but by Autumn they seem to take on more flavour, more depth and more zing. Apples are a wonderful source of fibre, vitamin C and potassium, and they are low calorie too. Added to that, apples can help to aid weight loss as they have a low GI, so you feel full after eating them and are less likely to snack on other foods. Studies have also found that apples can help to lower cholesterol- so it’s little wonder they made our list of super Autumn foods! Again, a pie might be your favourite way to eat an apple, but we urge you to try something different! We love baked apples for a sweet treat now and then, but we lately discovered this wonderful tangy coleslaw recipe that works so well in a crisp Autumn salad.
To make it you need:
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp suger/ sweetener
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 7 cups red cabbage, shredded
- 1.5 cups diced apple of your choice (we love Cox’s)
Simply combine all ingredients apart from the cabbage and apple in a large bowl and whisk until they’re fully blended. Mix in the apple and cabbage and serve.
So there you have it. Four wonderful super foods for Autumn. Now come and tell us what’s on your menu this week…
