You go shopping several times a week, but how many times you don't know which vegetables to choose? Or do you end up always buying the same fruit?
By now the consumer has gotten used to finding so much variety in the fruit and vegetable counters and often forgets that he is actually able to select with criteria the real seasonal products.
Yes, because, as the saying goes, “its fruit in every season”.
Eating seasonal fruit and vegetables allows you to take in all the nutrients your body needs at that time of year, when even a given food is more naturally rich in the nutrients for which it is known.
Seasonal foods smell, are tasty, can be recognized with the naked eye!
They also cost less than the others!
October is a month full of tasty fruit and vegetables and the shopping is tinged with red, orange, yellow, brown and all the shades of these magnificent colors.
What to put in the cart?
The list is extensive. Typical autumn vegetables include potatoes, cabbage, cabbage, corn, fennel, mushrooms, celery, peas and pumpkins.
Below is a brief description of some first fruits chosen for their precious properties.
It starts with the delicious mushrooms , low in calories and rich in minerals that will flavor risottos and appetizers! From porcini mushrooms to champignons to chiodini, the choice is vast and varies only according to your taste.
With October comes the prince of Halloween vegetable, pumpkin!
Not everyone knows that in addition to the pulp, seeds can also be consumed, which represent a precious source of Omega3, essential for fighting bad mood and various skin and cardiovascular problems!
Pumpkin is rich in vitamins A and C, mineral salts, has diuretic and refreshing properties. Therefore also ideal for those who follow a diet. With the pumpkin you can prepare the famous pumpkin risotto, flans, various appetizers and, particularly suitable for the upcoming season, hot soups.
Also typical of the autumn season is radicchio , a fantastic vegetable that helps digest, drain and even fight insomnia. Excellent to be consumed both raw in salads, and cooked (grilled or steamed, perhaps to accompany meats or a plate of cheeses).
And the cabbages ? The family to which they belong is very numerous: cabbage, savoy cabbage , black, Brussels sprouts , broccoli and cauliflower . All these vegetables contain good amounts of vitamins C, B9 (folic acid) and potassium and are ideal if consumed in diets, due to their high satiating power. Brussels sprouts in particular are also rich in vitamin E. Simply steamed, boiled or baked, they are a great side dish. If, on the other hand, you are looking for an idea for a main dish, you can think of a stew of veal and white cabbage or cabbage, which goes very well with meat, both in broth and in a drier version.
What about fruit?
The classic apples , in red, yellow and green versions, are a panacea for health! Rich in vitamin B1, riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), vitamin A, vitamin C and minerals.
An exceptional fruit typical of this season is the pomegranate : delicious to garnish dishes and desserts and very nutritious. It has excellent antioxidant properties and the extract is a healthy and tasty snack even for the little ones.
Drinking a glass of pomegranate juice a day also provides the right amount of daily antioxidants.
Not to forget the persimmons, very sweet and also ideal for children, diuretics, energizers and rich in vitamins, beta-carotene and mineral salts such as potassium, phosphorus and magnesium.
The grapes are also very appreciated; the red or black one has a sweeter taste and is richer in anthocyanins with an antioxidant action, while the clear one has a more acidic taste; both varieties are still delicious and lend themselves both to the preparation of sweets and jams as well as to garnish and accompany savory dishes.
Which seasonal vegetables do you use for your side dishes? What are your favorite autumn fruits?