Sadly, summer is over, which means that the bounty of peaches, watermelon, berries, and some other summer favorites won’t be as readily available in the coming months. The good news is that fall favorites are about to hit a grocery store or farmer’s market near you. Not only can buying seasonal produce save you money, but it is also the best way to eat the freshest, local produce. Most places in the U.S. see the same produce items when they are in season, but produce times peak at different areas, especially when it comes to buying from farmers markets.
You may see certain produce items during the fall season and say to yourself, “I want to eat that, but I don’t know how to eat it or if it’s cleanse-approved.” If it is a fruit or vegetable, you are typically safe to eat it while cleansing, but there are a few exceptions. You may not want to eat butternut squash raw, for instance.
The most important thing about cleansing is to vary your meals to keep your taste buds interested. Check out the following cleanse-approved recipes for upcoming fall produce.
Fennel
Fennel has an assertive licorice flavor, which can be an acquired taste. People who use fennel should thinly slice it with a mandolin, or possess some chef-like and incorporate it into slaws or salads. You can also cut up the fronds in dips or spreads.
Click here for a refreshing fennel recipe.
Apple
Probably the most signature fall fruit, apples are crisp and complement things like almond butter, fennel, kale, and arugula. The inherent polyphenols have been linked to lower cholesterol levels, while the vitamin C content helps to improve immune function. Make sure to wash the skins because they are often coated with pesticides and wax.
Click here for the perfect apple recipe for breakfast.
Grapes
The best grape varieties are harvested in the fall, so you know they are fresh, juicy, and delicious. Eat them as a healthy snack, add them to your salads for sweet bursts of flavor, or freeze them to eat as a guilt-free dessert. Grapes actually have a lot of vitamin K and C, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties that help keep your skin healthy.
Click here to make a broccoli and grape salad.
Cucumbers
There’s nothing like a crisp cucumber, which helps to hydrate the body while you eat it. Rich in a variety of nutrients, cucumbers go great in salads, juices, or in detox waters. You can also snack on them by soaking them in lemon juice, sea salt, and chili powder. Due to their water content, placing cucumbers on your eyes can help get rid of dark circles because they help to hydrate the skin.
Click here for a marinated cucumber salad.
Broccoli
Broccoli is one of the best plant-based protein sources and it can be treated in many ways. Whether you roast it, blend it, shred it for salads, blend it for dips, or crunch on it as a snack, broccoli pairs well with powerful flavors like ginger, garlic, pepper, or red pepper flakes. One of the primary reasons to eat broccoli is because it may prevent the accumulation of fat in the liver, helping to inhibit the development of fatty liver disease.
Click here for a refreshing broccoli tabouli recipe.
Sweet Potatoes
We couldn’t make a list of fall produce items without including sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes can be used for so much more than Thanksgiving casseroles or pies. Roast them to make fries, boil them to make a sweet potato mash, grate them to sauté as hash browns, or process them through a juicer. They are great sources of beta carotene, fiber, and contain essential blood pressure-lowering nutrients like potassium and magnesium. You can’t really go wrong eating these.
Click here to make a sweet potato carrot juice.
Pears
From Anjou to Bartlett, or Sugar Pears to Forelles, pears are actually a lot healthier than people think. They are rich in pectin, a complex carbohydrate, that helps promote healthy digestion, boosts the immune system, and acts as a detox agent.
Click here to make a rosemary-infused pear sorbet.
Pomegranates
While they are recognized as the fruit that makes up POM juice, pomegranates have been held sacred by ancient religions. The antioxidants in pomegranates may help to decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease, and early studies indicate that they may also help to inhibit breast and colon cancers.
Click here to make a pomegranate detox juice.
