What’s in Season? The Best Fall Veggies to Pick Up at the Farmer’s Market

Attention: Pumpkin Spice and everything nice season is upon us.

Grocery stores and Targets’ everywhere are racking their shelves with fifty shades of orange.

What makes fall one of GRIT BOX’s favorite seasons? It isn’t just for the 10 various kinds of pumpkin spice creamers at Whole Food’s (okay maybe a little). We love fall because of the abundant amount of in season vegetables.

What makes veggies that are in season more important than all of the other fall treats, you ask? The fact that vegetables in season are by far the freshest and most nutrient dense. AKA, you are get the most amount of vitamins and minerals possible, especially when you buy these veggies straight from your local farmers market. More nutrients mean a stronger immune system, better muscle recovery, and a healthier lifespan for the long run.

In our country, thanks to modern agriculture and access to mass food processing techniques, we are able to manufacture food that isn’t necessarily in season. We sometimes forget that if food is fresh, its’ availability changes within season.

According to various scientists and researchers in the health and wellness field, it is best to eat seasonally within nature’s cycles. This means that for health reasons, you should only eat what is recently grown to eliminate the time out-of-season vegetables are sitting on the shelf, taking farm-to-table to a whole new level.

Next time you find yourself at your local farmer’s market, try to pick up some of the nutrient filled veggies in season:

Squash: This highly underrated veggie is packed with vitamin A, B6, and C, folate, magnesium, fiber, riboflavin, phosphorus, and potassium.

Brussel Sprouts: Rich in antioxidants, high in fiber, filled with vitamin K & vitamin C, and low in calories. Our favoriteway to cook this delectable veggie is to bake on 450 degrees for 30-40 minutes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with honey and balsamic once cooled for the ultimate fall dinner side.

Broccoli: The veggie our younger selves loved to avoid at dinner. Perhaps you were even bribed with dessert just to eat this despised side? However, your parents were only looking after your health as broccoli is high in vitamins K & C, potassium, fiber, and helps to build collagen.

Butter Lettuce: If you’ve had butter lettuce, you know it’s one of a kind and can be extremely addicting. There’s something about the soft-buttery texture that keeps it constantly in our fridge. This lettuce is a great source of vitamins A and K, as well as iron.

Mushrooms: This veggie is hot in the realm of all things health and wellness right now for good reason. For starters, edible mushrooms are a great option for a low calorie choice in vegetable. They contain B vitamins, selenium, potassium, and vitamin D. We love to sauté fresh mushrooms in olive oil with tomatoes, garlic, and spinach.

Sweet potatoes: This sweet root veggie is an excellent source of fiber and is full of vitamins and minerals. To name a few, the sweet potato contains vitamins B and C, iron, calcium, and very high in antioxidants such as beta-cartene (which converts vitamin A when digested). Sweet potatoes are one of our all-time favorite veggies to load up on.

Cauliflower: This veggie is all the rage currently due to its’ ability to become rice or even pizza crust. Not only can this versatile veggie boost HDL (the good kind of cholesterol) and lower blood pressure, it also contains vitamins C and K.

Pumpkins: Last, but of course not the least, the most important in-season fall veggie of all. Pumpkins are full of fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. Pro Tip: Don’t forget to save those seeds! Pumpkin seeds are full of antioxidants and very high in magnesium.

It’s time to get to your local farmers market and load up on some veggies!