A nature’s guidelines to what serves us at the beginning of Autumn
We have experienced a beautiful weather in the Netherlands at the beginning of September but nowadays I can feel already the movement towards cooler autumn days. I really love summer but autumn has also a lot to offer for us – especially very tasty comforting food which we can enjoy when the days become shorter and colder.
In the past when access to refrigerators , special cooling spaces and food transportation was limited we used to eat what the nature was able to grow in our nearby area and this was also exactly what was good for us. Nowadays having access to huge variety of food from all over the world it is still great to enjoy local late summer / early autumn goodness which can grow in our gardens, neighbor’s gardens or in the plantations not far from our own homes.
The fruits and vegetables bought locally are fresher, taste better, have higher nutritional value (fruits and vegetables that are stored for long periods of time due to transportation or to be used at a later date have a reduction in vitamins or phytonutrient content), are not so much sprayed with chemicals before travelling and buying them instead of food from far away helps to support our environment.
It is worth looking around what local food markets and farmers have to offer nowadays.
Below you may find a list of the most popular fruits and vegetables in Europe - it depends still a bit where you live – if you want to look for more information you can check this amazing webpage with diversification by region. Explore Seasonal Fruit and Vegetables in Europe | Eufic
Fruits – the most popular are:
Apples – huge variety
Pears
Plumps
Elderberry
Cranberry
Grapes
Sea buckthorn
Quince
Figs (in south Europe)
Vegetables – the ones in season are great for preparation of warming up dishes which make us feel great in colder weather, there are a lot of root vegetables but also cruciferous vegetables are represented really well. And cruciferous veggies are amazing for our natural detoxification processes as well for hormonal balance.
Broccoli
Cabbage
Brussel sprouts
Kales
Pak choi
Celeriac
Fennel
Tomato
Sweet corn
Radish
Kohlrabi
Chicory
Bell pepper
Parsley
Parsnip
Aubergine
Beetroot
Carrot
Swede
Endive
Leek
Choosing variety of food, especially different colors help to diversify nutrients provided to our body but also a fuel for our gut bacteria – the support for our immune system which needs to be strong before the autumn and winter season. Different species of gut bacteria’s need different food to grow so the diversity is really important.
Please share what is on your next shopping list? 😉 I would be curious to hear from you :)
Cheers,
Gosia
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