Soup and stew season is here, as we turn to warming comfort foods to keep us cosy while the temperature plunges.
Dishes like soups and stews are also a great way to use more seasonal vegetables in your cooking, many of which are highly nutritious superfoods.
Autumn is the time when root vegetables really start to shine, as well as dark leafy green vegetables.
Root vegetables are low in calories and high in antioxidants, as well as a number of vitamins and minerals, making them a really important source of nutrition – particularly in the colder months, when we become more prone to seasonal illnesses like colds and flus.
Meanwhile, we all know that eating green vegetables is an important part of a balanced diet. But dark green leafy vegetables contain high levels of vitamins like folate, a B vitamin that promotes heart health, vitamin K, antioxidants, iron, magnesium, potassium, and calcium – all on top of plenty of fibre!
This season is also the perfect time to eat a variety of pumpkins and squashes that are in abundance at this time of year. From butternut squash to Delica pumpkin, there are so many to choose from, and many of them are delicious to eat.
1. Kale
Kale is a major superfood. It’s packed with fibre and nutritionists praise it as an excellent source of fibre and vitamins. Studies also suggest that kale, along with other cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and broccoli, can help maintain a healthy gut and prevent colon cancer.
This dark green leafy vegetable is also a good source of plant-based calcium and potassium, which can help reduce the risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
2. Pumpkin
They’re not just good for carving spooky Halloween lanterns – pumpkins, along with squash, are chock-full of immunity-boosting vitamins including vitamin C and vitamin E.
They are also rich in iron, folate, potassium, and beta-carotene. The latter is a red-orange pigment found in yellow and orange fruits and vegetables that the body converts into vitamin A – an essential vitamin to maintain good eye health and vision.
3. Beetroot
The bright red juice from beetroots are famous for staining clothes and turning urine red, but this root vegetable has many health benefits to make it much less scary.
Beetroot is a rich source of dietary nitrate, which can lower blood pressure, as well as boost performance and stamina. Experts say beetroot has also been linked to increased libido.
4. Mushrooms
As the weather becomes cold and wet, mushrooms can be seen sprouting up all over the place. Mushrooms are highly nutritious and often touted as a superfood thanks to their high levels of vitamin D and B vitamins.
Getting more vitamin D into our diets during the winter months is important as we are less exposed to sunlight. Mushrooms also contain betaglucans that are believed to boost immunity, and selenium that can help protect cells against damage.
5. Celeriac
An often overlooked root vegetable, celeriac is both delicious and highly nutritious. It can be eaten raw or cooked. Celeriac is a good source of vitamin K, vitamin B6, vitamin C, phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium.
6. Chestnuts
Chestnuts often bring about thoughts of Christmas thanks to the popular refrain, “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…” But they are in season throughout the autumn and winter months, and have plenty of nutritional value.
Full of fibre and rich in vitamin C, vitamin B6 and thiamine, chestnuts can supply you with plenty of energy as a healthy snack or pureed into a delicious chestnut soup.
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