Here's What's in Season in October with a seasonal produce list you can use as a quick reference guide when you visit your favorite Farmers Market!
It's October and the start of the fall season. We have Halloween at the of the month and a lot of fresh produce is in peak season including root vegetables several apple varieties. Even though it's still warm here in Austin, Texas, cool weather is on the horizon and it's the perfect time to make cozy recipes! If you don't have a favorite market, here is a guide to Farmers' Markets in Austin.
Shopping in-season produce is a delicious way to support local farmers, the environment, and your health. Plus, it gives you a chance to try new and different fresh recipes using seasonal ingredients which vary depending on the time of year.
While some produce is available year-round, many nourishing and tasty fruits and vegetables are at peak season in the fall.
As a dietitian, I love visiting the farmers market and getting intel from local farmers as to what's been harvested that week. This handy guide is perfect to bring to the market with you.
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Health Benefits of Seasonal Eating
Eating in-season fruits and vegetables where you live often means eating them right after they are harvested or picked. This allows them to ripen naturally on the plant until they are ready to eat which ensures peak flavor and nutrition. Freshly harvested fruits and vegetables are higher in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than those that have been transported or sitting on a grocery store shelf for a long time.
Seasonal food ensures you will get a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables! Each month brings new options that contain different vitamins and minerals and gives you nutritional diversity throughout the year
If you live in a place without access to seasonal produce, getting the nourishment you need comes first. Eating frozen or canned fruits and vegetables are a great way to add nutrition to your daily intake, too!
Benefits of Seasonal Eating on the Local Economy
Purchasing local food like fresh produce at peak season from your local farmers' market is a great way to support local farmers and food producers in your area. It also supports the local economy where you live! The money spent there is invested in other small businesses in the community.
Your best bet for seasonal eating is to shop at local farmers' markets. It will vary depending on the weather and environment where you live.
Environmental Benefits of Eating Seasonally
By eating seasonal fruit and veggies, you can decrease your carbon footprint. This is because the transportation process to get produce around the globe uses all different kind of vehicles from shipping trucks to boats. There is a large amount of gas and carbon emissions in the process of the transportation of food.
So without further ado, here is a list of What's in Season in October.
What's in Season in October in Texas
From root vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, and spaghetti squash to cruciferous vegetable varieties like brussels sprouts and seasonal fruits. There are plenty of flavors to play with in October. Here is your October Produce Guide:
- Apples
- Beets & Beet Greens
- Bell Peppers
- Bok Choy
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cantaloupes
- Carrots
- Collard Greens
- Cucumbers
- Daikon
- Eggplant
- Endive
- Fresh Figs
- Grapes
- Green Onions
- Fresh herbs - mint, oregano, sage, thyme, tarragon
- Kale
- Kiwi
- Leafy Greens
- Leeks
- Melons
- Olives
- Parsnips
- Passionfruit
- Pears
- Persimmons
- Pomegranates
- Potatoes
- Pumpkin
- Radish
- Rainbow Chard
- Roma Tomatoes
- Rutabega
- Squash (butternut squash, delicata squash, acorn squash, spaghetti squash,, zucchini squash, yellow squash)
- Sweet Corn
- Sweet Potatoes
- Turnips
Seasonal Recipes for October
October is an ideal time to visit the Farmers Market because there are so many options to create a healthy meal! Here are some recipes with fresh fall flavors! Whether you are having a dinner party or are looking for tasty recipes that make a great addition to your weekly routine, I hope you enjoy these ideas!
Fall Harvest Pasta Salad
This Fall Pasta Salad has all the flavors of fall with roasted Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, crisp apples, fresh thyme, and tender pasta. All topped with creamy goat cheese and a simple maple dijon vinaigrette dressing.
Dietitian Tip - Ingredient prep for this salad in advance by roasting your veggies and making the dressing the night before. Then when lunchtime or dinnertime rolls around, all that's left to do is cook up your pasta and assemble the salad! Go to the recipe.
Oatmeal Pumpkin Pancakes
These Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes are a perfect breakfast for the fall! They have all the flavors of pumpkin spice and the pancake batter comes together easily in the blender. And the best part is that they freeze well. Make an extra batch and enjoy them all pumpkin season long!
Dietitian Tip - Pumpkin is a nutrient-rich ingredient to add to recipes! Just ½ cup of pumpkin puree contains 100% of your daily vitamin A needs and 3 grams of fiber which is 10% of your daily fiber needs. Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin that is important for immune health, vision, and growth & development! Dietary fiber is vital for a healthy gut and also helps support hormone health and keeps you full longer. Go to the recipe.
Simple Kale Harvest Salad with Maple Tahini Dressing
If you're looking for a delicious nutrient-rich recipe, this Kale Harvest Salad is the perfect combination of fall flavors, and is loaded with seasonal ingredients. Fresh kale, sweet potatoes, crisp apples, and pumpkin seeds all topped with a creamy Maple Tahini Dressing.
Dietitian Tip - One of the best ways to ensure you'll eat (and enjoy!) your vegetables is to make sure they taste great by choosing combinations that pair well together. And my secret weapon to convert any veggie-hater into a lover is to add a great sauce or dressing. Making a homemade dressing that contains nutrient-rich ingredients like the Maple Tahini Dressing used in this Kale Harvest Salad is a double win: flavor + nutrition. 😊 Go to the recipe.
Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats
This Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats Recipe tastes like eating the filling of apple pie with crisp apples, delicate cinnamon, and creamy oats! It's a great way to get in tons of nutrition at breakfast and perfect for busy mornings. With a couple of minutes of prep, you can make a delicious breakfast for the entire week. 😊
Dietitian Tip - Did you know that oatmeal contains a dietary fiber called beta-glucan? Beta-glucan may help lower cholesterol levels, can help support your digestive system and gut health, and stabilize blood sugar levels. Just a half cup of oats contains around 15% of your daily fiber intake for the day and 5 grams of protein. These overnight oats are a delicious way to nourish your body with care and stay full and satisfied until your next meal. Go to the recipe.
Butternut Squash Soup with Carrots & Apple
It's officially soup season and this cozy Butternut Squash Soup with Ginger is a delicious and nutrient-dense soup recipe for colder months! Sweet squash is roasted on a sheet pan with carrots, apples, and aromatics and blended to perfection with ginger and fresh thyme to create the absolute best flavor. I hope you love this creamy butternut squash soup as much as I do!
Dietitian Tip - Butternut Squash Soup is a double win - it's delicious and so nutritious it can help you meet your daily needs! Just one cup of cubed butternut squash has 14% of your daily value of potassium, 11% of your daily value of fiber, 12% of your daily value magnesium and 48% of your daily value of Vitamin C! Go to the recipe.
In Conclusion
Using seasonal produce is a great way to nourish your body, protect the planet, and support local farmers and businesses in your community. In October in the North America, we are into early fall.
Whether you shop at local farmers' markets, local grocery stores, or online market, look for some of these fruits and vegetables that are in season in October and get in the kitchen to try out a new recipe! 😊
And remember, if you live in a place without access to seasonal produce, getting the nourishment you need comes first. Eating frozen or canned fruits and vegetables are a great way to add nutrition to your daily intake, too.
References: Texas Real Food, Texas Farmers Market, Farm to Table TX, University of Maryland Medical System, Seasonal Food Guide, WebMD
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