The autumn harvest brings forth a variety of root vegetables and crisp fruits. And good news for you: Those same delicious fall vegetables and fruits come loaded with health perks.
If you choose seasonal options, you'll boost benefits not only for yourself, but also for the environment. Seasonal produce is often at peak freshness and nutritional value, and if it’s from a local farm, that reduces your carbon footprint, says Rahaf Al Bochi, RDN, the owner of Olive Tree Nutrition.
Try shopping locally to get the freshest in-season produce in your area. Farmers markets are a good place to start, and they typically stay open into the fall months. If these outlets aren’t available, your local supermarket may have a good stock of seasonal produce picks labeled local — and they may even be cheaper this time of year.
Here are some of fall’s best fruits and vegetables and how you can enjoy reaping their health benefits.
1
Apples May Lower Your Risk for Diabetes
There may be no fruit more popular during the fall season than apples — and they’re hard to miss, with so many colorful varieties to choose from. Luckily, you can enjoy this seasonal favorite knowing they come with a bushel of nutrition.
A medium apple has almost 4.8 grams (g) of fiber, which gives you around 17 percent of your DV in 104 calories. Pro tip: “It’s recommended to leave the skin on, as it contains a lot of the fiber found in apples as well as polyphenols,” says Al Bochi. In addition to fiber, the skin delivers a lot of the fruit's vitamin C (in one medium apple, you get 9.2 milligrams [mg], or about 10 percent of the DV).
In fact, studies have found that a raw apple with skin contains 115 percent more vitamin C than a peeled apple. The skin contains high amounts of polyphenols (nutrients found in plants that act as antioxidants) called flavonoids. Health benefits related to apple consumption include a lower risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes, per the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In addition, research shows that apple polyphenols have promising anti-cancer and anti-aging properties. Each time you visit the store, pick up a different variety to discover new flavors and textures. Apple varieties such as Red Delicious can be stored for 3 to 5 months, making them easier to enjoy into the winter. You may also want to consider buying organic, which reduces your exposure to synthetic pesticides and insecticides.
As for how to eat them, take your pick. “They are tasty on their own and crunchy,” Al Bochi says. “An apple dipped in almond butter is delicious.” You can also add them to salads or oatmeal or use them to make unsweetened applesauce — a delicious snack.
2
Pears Are a Great Fruit for Heart-Friendly Fiber
People overlook pears, but they deserve more love. These juicy fruits are similar to apples in nutrition but have even more filling fiber. A medium pear has an impressive 5.5 g of fiber (which is about 20 percent of your DV, making it an excellent source) and it’s just 101 calories.
You’ll also score almost 8 mg of vitamin C (about 9 percent of your DV) and 206 mg of potassium (which is about 4 percent of your DV), in a medium pear. Potassium is crucial for helping your cells function at their best, regulates your heartbeat, and keeps your muscles and nerves working as they should.
Pears are an excellent part of a heart-healthy diet. According to a review of 44 studies, anthocyanins, an antioxidant and pigment that gives some pears their red color, may protect against coronary artery disease. In addition, the fiber found in pears has been linked to lower levels of heart disease. When you’re out shopping for pears, you can buy them when they feel firm and let them ripen and soften up over a few days. Add a dash of sweetness to salads by tossing in some pear slices, or bring a touch of fall flavor to the breakfast table by adding pears to your muffin or scone recipes. “When ripe, their juicy nature makes them a great addition to salads and sparkling water refreshers,” says Vicki Shanta Retelny, RDN, the Chicago-based author of Total Body Diet for Dummies. They also make a lovely and healthy dessert when poached.
3
Cranberries May Help Your Body Fight Oxidative Stress With Anthocyanins
With their eye-catching red hue, cranberries are a quintessential holiday fruit you can showcase in a variety of dishes. “There are many ways to use cranberries aside from a Thanksgiving cranberry sauce,” Al Bochi says.
Furthermore, fresh cranberries are a nutritious choice. A half cup of chopped cranberries contains about 2 g of fiber, which is about 7 percent of your DV. You also score some vitamin C — 7 mg per half cup, which is close to 8.5 percent of your DV. These numbers make cranberries a heart-healthy food, one that may improve blood pressure and cholesterol. The anthocyanins that give these little red fruits their signature color may reduce oxidative stress. When your body is exposed to harmful chemicals (like smoke and sunlight), it produces free radicals. Too many free radicals in your body can cause oxidative stress, which is tied to a number of diseases, like Alzheimer’s and diabetes. One study found that participants who took a daily cranberry supplement (equal to about 1 cup of cranberries) for 12 weeks improved their memory and also lowered their LDL cholesterol.
Ready to get cooking with cranberries? They’re a great ingredient for amping up desserts, pancakes, and oatmeal, and an easy way to liven up grain-based dishes like quinoa and brown rice with a fall twist.
If they're available, opt for fresh cranberries over dried. Sweetened dried cranberries have more calories — you get 23 calories for each half cup of raw cranberries compared with 246 per half cup of sweetened dried. You also get less vitamin C when eating sweetened dried — just 0.1 mg in the same portion. And the sugar is significantly higher when you go sweetened dried — 58 g of sugar per half cup, compared with 2.1 g per the same measure of raw cranberries. You can cut back on added sugars by buying unsweetened dried cranberries, although these are less commonly found at your local grocer.
4
Winter Squash Is Packed With Vitamin A for Better Eye Health
Don’t let the name confuse you — the term "winter squash" encompasses any squash harvested in the fall, such as spaghetti squash, acorn squash, and butternut squash. While all varieties are flavorful, honeynut squash is sweeter than butternut, and delicata squash is mild, like a less-sweet butternut.
Nutritionally speaking, this seasonal staple has a lot going for it. “Butternut, spaghetti, and acorn squashes are best in the fall, and they are loaded with beta-carotene, vitamin A, magnesium, potassium, and fiber,” says Retelny.
Squash is downright packed with beta-carotene: There are 5,920 micrograms (mcg) of beta-carotene in 1 cup of butternut squash. This plant pigment, which gives squash its yellow or orange hue, is converted by the body into vitamin A. Vitamin A is beneficial for immunity and eye health, and is important to maintain the heart, lungs, and other organs. With one cup of butternut squash, you get 745 mcg, which is almost 83 percent of your DV, making it an excellent source.
A cup of cubed butternut squash is also a good source of several nutrients, including fiber, with 2.8 g, as well as magnesium and potassium.
Cut butternut or acorn squash into chunks and roast them for a hearty side dish. “I love roasting, grilling, steaming, and mashing squash,” says Retelny.
5
Pumpkin Is Another Excellent Source of Vitamin A
The Halloween staple is good for more than just carving and seasonal decor. Like other squashes, pumpkin contains beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A, in which form it provides your body with lots of health perks. A cup of cubed raw pumpkin gives you 3,600 mcg of beta-carotene. You’ll get 494 mcg of vitamin A in total per cup, making it an excellent source.
Pumpkin also delivers vitamin C, providing 10.4 mg per cup, which is almost 12 percent of your DV, making it a good source. Canned pureed pumpkin can be nutritious too, as long as it doesn’t contain added sugar. One cup gives you 7.1 g of fiber, racking up over 25 percent of your DV and making it an excellent source.
When shopping for pumpkins, look for ones labeled “sugar” or “pie,” weighing 3 to 6 pounds. Cooking varieties include: Cinderella, Long Island Cheese, New England Pie, and Sweetie Pie. Cut pumpkins in half, remove the fibers and seeds, and roast them facedown on a baking sheet until they’re soft. Then you can scoop out the flesh to puree, which you can store in the freezer for later use. It’s great for topping toast, making pancakes, burgers, and even pizza! “Pumpkin puree can be used in muffins, in oatmeal, in dips — like a pumpkin bean dip — and the pumpkin seeds are a great snack,” says Al Bochi. (Try this Mediterranean diet–inspired pumpkin and white bean hummus from Minimalist Baker!)
Just beware of packaged pumpkin treats and goodies that tout pumpkin flavor — they could just be desserts with flavoring (and not whole, nutritious pumpkin), notes Baylor University.
How To Cut It: Pumpkin
Maybe you carve a pumpkin each year for Halloween. Did you know you can cook with whole pumpkin, too? To get started, Everyday Health staff nutritionist Kelly Kennedy, RD, shares how to cut a sugar pumpkin in this video.
Next up video playing in 10 seconds
6
Leeks Are an Anti-Inflammatory Food That Fends Off Disease
Leeks are a flavorful but milder alternative to onions and can be used interchangeably in everything from breakfast casseroles to lasagna. “Leeks can be sautéed and added to stir-fries, soups, or stuffing, and they have a mild onion flavor,” says Al Bochi.
Also like onions, leeks have plenty of nutrients in each bite. “Leeks are a nutritious, healthy fall food. They are high in flavonoids, specifically kaempferol, which offers a protective effect against heart disease,” says Al Bochi. In addition, 1 cup of leeks gives you about 1.6 g of fiber and only 54 calories. You’ll also get about 1,690 mcg of lutein and zeaxanthin, making leeks a good source of these antioxidants, which may help prevent eye disease, including cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. There’s other promising research on leeks, too. Many studies have shown that its active ingredients, such as sulfur compounds, fiber, steroid compounds and flavonoid compounds, are beneficial for your health. These benefits include promoting blood circulation, lowering cholesterol, anti-cancer effects, and lowering fat and blood sugar levels. You will see piles of leeks in your local grocery store and farmers market during the fall. Look for bright-colored, fresh-looking tops that aren’t dry. Make sure to clean them well under cool running water before cooking, because there’s usually some grit between the leaves.
7
Brussels Sprouts Are Full of Fiber and Anticarcinogenic Glucosinolates
One cup of cooked Brussels sprouts contains 4 g of fiber, which is 14 percent of your DV, making it a good source. Brussels sprouts are a member of the cruciferous family: “There’s tons of evidence to back up the cancer-fighting properties of cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower,” says Retelny. “They contain metabolites called glucosinolates, which have been shown to have cancer-preventive properties,” she adds. Best right after the first frost, Brussels sprouts are one of the fall's most underrated delights. How you cook them, though, is key. “I used to think Brussels sprouts were gross, but it turns out, I just hadn't had them prepared properly,” says Anne Mauney, MPH, RD, a blogger at FannetasticFood.com based in Alexandria, Virginia, who recommends her Miso & Honey Roasted Brussels Sprouts recipe.
“If you think Brussels sprouts are bland and mushy, you've probably only had them boiled or steamed,” says Mauney. “I highly recommend roasting Brussels sprouts to make them as delicious as possible — they will come out crisp and caramelized but will still be a healthy vegetable side full of fiber and antioxidants.” To prep the sprouts, trim the bottoms, cut them in half, and toss with olive oil and sliced onions. Then spread them on a baking sheet and roast them at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. They are great as a side dish, or you can get creative and use them as an unexpected pizza topping. And don't forget raw too! Raw shredded Brussels sprouts are a great base for a delicious fall salad.
8
Sweet Potatoes Are Loaded With Vitamins A and C for Immune Perks
“Sweet potatoes are a really nutritious and delicious choice any time of the year, but they are especially perfect in the fall when they are in season,” says Mauney.
This starchy comfort food comes with many health perks. “Sweet potatoes contain a lot of nutrients — fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin C, just to name a few,” says Mauney. In fact, a medium sweet potato packs 3.8 g of fiber (so about 13 percent of your DV, making it a good source). The same portion has 1,100 mcg of vitamin A (which is over 100 percent of your DV, so easily an excellent source for this immune-boosting vitamin ) and 22 mg of vitamin C (which is about 24 percent of your DV, making it an excellent source as well). Serve up a colorful side dish by slicing a variety of potatoes into cubes (we like a mixture of red, white, and sweet potatoes), tossing them with olive oil and garlic, and roasting them in the oven.
And you can’t go wrong with baked sweet potato fries — Mauney's go-to is this Mexican-style baked version.
9
Parsnips Help Keep Your Bones Healthy With Vitamin K
This root vegetable, similar to a carrot in texture, becomes sweeter as it’s exposed to cold weather, so fall is a great time to experiment with it in the kitchen.
One cup of sliced parsnips provides 6.5 g of fiber, for about 23 percent of your DV; 30 mcg of vitamin K (which helps your blood to clot and keeps your bones healthy, for 25 percent of your DV; and 22.6 mg of vitamin C, for 25 percent of your DV — making parsnips an excellent source of all these nutrients.
Parsnips also contain 89 mcg of folate per cup, which is about 22 percent of your DV — thus an excellent source for this B vitamin as well. Folate is needed for your cells to divide and for your body to make DNA.
It’s important for women to get enough folate if they are looking to become pregnant or are pregnant, to prevent neural tube defects in babies, the NIH notes (pregnant women have a higher recommended daily allowance recommendation, at 600 mcg, compared with 400 mcg for other adults).
Raw, the veggie adds a sweet crunch to salads; cooked parsnips are a tasty addition to soups, stews, and stir-fries. You can also enjoy them simply roasted with olive oil. Or mix things up and use parsnips in place of potatoes for an unexpected take on french fries.
10
Broccoli Contains Sulforaphane, a Compound That May Protect Against Cancer
Broccoli, along with cauliflower, is abundant in the fall and perfect for steaming, roasting, or adding to stir-fries. Broccoli can be used as a base for soup as a great way to mix up the typical side of veggies, especially if certain members of the family aren’t crazy about the vegetable’s texture.
A cup of chopped broccoli gives you 2.3 g of fiber (for about 8 percent of your DV), 81.2 mg of vitamin C (a whopping 90 percent of your DV, making it an excellent source), and 92.8 mcg of vitamin K (for about 77 percent of your DV, making it another excellent source).
“Plus, they contain a cancer-fighting compound called sulforaphane,” says Retelny. This phytochemical found in broccoli has been linked to reducing the risk of certain cancers. As for how to bring out the best flavors of broccoli? “I love to steam or roast broccoli and cauliflower because it brings out the nutritional value, and they taste great drizzled with olive oil, a hint of salt and pepper, and a sprinkle of garlic or curry powder,” Retelny adds.
The Takeaway
- Autumn brings a variety of healthy fruits and vegetables to your local farmers market and grocery store.
- Fall fruits and vegetables are not only delicious, but full of health benefits, too.
- Apples, pears, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and parsnips are full of heart-healthy fiber.
- Winter squash and leeks are beneficial for eye health.
Additional reporting by Brianna Steinhilber.
Meet Our Experts
Melissa Sleight, RDN
Medical Reviewer
Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine
Melissa Sleight, RDN, is a board-certified lifestyle medicine dietitian with over 15 years of experience. She has a passion for educating her clients about improving their health through nutrition and lifestyle changes, and seeing them motivated to improve their health each day.
Sleight earned her bachelor's in nutrition and food science from Utah State University. She is a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and the Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition group for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She is involved at the local level as the president-elect of Magic Valley Dietitians and is a liaison for her community as a board member of the Idaho Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
She likes to cook and try new recipes, and loves water activities of all kinds — from paddleboards to hot tubs. She enjoys exploring the outdoors through hiking, on all-terrain vehicles, and camping.
Sleight earned her bachelor's in nutrition and food science from Utah State University. She is a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and the Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition group for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She is involved at the local level as the president-elect of Magic Valley Dietitians and is a liaison for her community as a board member of the Idaho Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
She likes to cook and try new recipes, and loves water activities of all kinds — from paddleboards to hot tubs. She enjoys exploring the outdoors through hiking, on all-terrain vehicles, and camping.
Leslie Barrie
Author
Leslie Barrie is a health and nutrition writer and editor who loves running marathons and attempting to cook healthy meals for her family (even if they don’t always turn out as planned). She received her bachelor of science degree at UCLA and her master of science degree at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She has written and edited for publications like Health magazine, Seventeen, and Woman’s Day. Leslie won a Hearst Spotlight Award for her work in 2018 at Woman’s Day, and helped plan the Woman’s Day Red Dress Awards, an event honoring changemakers fighting to end heart disease in women.
When she isn’t writing, Leslie loves chasing her daughter and son around outside, going on family hikes, and starting her day with a big bowl of muesli.