Best Fall and Winter Produce for Health and Weight Loss

In this article:

• Some fruits and vegetables are their freshest and most delicious in the fall and winter.
• Eating more produce can help with weight management and nutrition, but it’s best to prepare them in healthier ways.
• Here are tips and recipes for some of the best produce in fall and winter.
• Lark can support your goals and help you stay motivated as you make progress towards your health and weight loss goals with or without GLP-1s as you log food, get tips for eating healthier, and make small changes that can turn into healthy habits.
  

Do you want to improve heart health, lower blood sugar or blood pressure, manage weight, strengthen your immune system, or generally feel better? Most people can benefit by eating more fruits and vegetables.

It’s natural to think of late fall and early winter as months without much fresh produce since summer fruits and vegetables like melons, peaches, tomatoes, and zucchini may be more abundant and tempting in mid-summer. However, many other fruits and vegetables shine later in the year and are just as nourishing.

Here are several fruits and vegetables that come into their own in late fall. We’ve listed some less healthy but common ways people may eat them, along with healthier options for enjoying these treasures.

Apples

Apples are so common that many of us take them for granted, but they’re worth a few moments of attention. Though they’re available year-round, they can be even better in fall and winter. Fuji, Honeycrisp, Red and Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith are well known and have different amounts of sweetness, tartness, and crispness. It’s a personal choice, so select the ones you love the most.

Limit higher-calorie/lower-nutrient choices like these…

Apple pie, baked apples with butter and sugar, candied apples

…And try lower-calorie/higher-nutrient options like these:

In salads, grated and stewed with shredded cabbage, baked or stewed with cinnamon, dipped into peanut butter, or with low-fat cheddar cheese

Try this: Braised Red Cabbage with Apple

Beets

Beets may be most familiar in cans, but they’re easy to prepare fresh. A little earthy, a little sweet, and very delicious, you can eat them raw like crunchy carrots, or cooked. It’s okay to eat the peel if you like. Otherwise, you can peel them raw or after you cook them. Be prepared for everything they touch to turn beet-red!

Limit higher-calorie/lower-nutrient choices like these…

Pickled beets with sugar, creamed beets, beets in butter sauce

…And try lower-calorie/higher-nutrient options like these:

Roasted beets plain or with a spritz of olive oil, cooked and pureed into hummus, in a whole-grain wrap with avocado, arugula, and goat cheese

Try this: Beet Pizza on Whole-Grain English muffins

Broccoli

Broccoli is one of the higher-fiber vegetables. Find whole heads with the stalks on, opt for broccoli crowns, purchase pre-packaged broccoli florets, or get frozen broccoli florets or chopped broccoli. Raw broccoli is good dipped or in olive oil-based slaw, while cooked broccoli can be a welcome addition to eggs, soup, potatoes, casseroles, and sauces. If broccoli tastes too strong for you, try cooking it a little more.

Limit higher-calorie/lower-nutrient choices like these…

In salad with mayonnaise and bacon, smothered in cheese or cream sauce or in cheesy or creamy soup, in broccoli rice casserole with white rice, cream, and cheese

…And try lower-calorie/higher-nutrient options like these:

Roasted broccoli, broccoli stir fry, whole-grain pasta with broccoli and marinara sauce, brown rice with broccoli and shrimp, whole-grain pasta or quinoa salad with broccoli, vegetables, and vinaigrette

Try this: Broccoli Breakfast Casserole

Brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts have gained in popularity recently. Lucky for us, they’re now available on menus and in stores as fresh or frozen whole or shaved sprouts. They’re hearty and filling, and a little goes a long way.

Limit higher-calorie/lower-nutrient choices like these…

Fried or baked with bacon, in creamy or cheesy sauces, battered and fried, or in garlic butter

…And try lower-calorie/higher-nutrient options like these:

Roasted plain or with parmesan cheese or olive oil, in salads, or roasted with bacon

Try this: Brussels Sprouts Slaw

Butternut, kabocha, or acorn squash

Winter squashes are somewhat appreciated, but they may deserve even more accolades than they usually get. Most fans know that they’re high in beta-carotene, which is the form of vitamin A that gives them an orange color like carrots, cantaloupe, and yams. They also have a good amount of fiber and are high in potassium. That’s a blood pressure-lowering mineral that most Americans are low in.

Limit higher-calorie/lower-nutrient choices like these…

Creamed or in cream soups, candied or baked with brown sugar or butter

…And try lower-calorie/higher-nutrient options like these:

Roasted plain or with olive oil, in bowls with greens, vinaigrette dressing, and beans, chicken, fish, or egg whites, stuffed with beans and vegetables, topped with melted cheese

Try this: Easy Creamy Butternut Squash Whole-Grain Mac and Cheese

Cabbage

You may think of cabbage as the main ingredient in a boring soup for weight loss, but it is in dishes from many different ethnic origins and with all kinds of flavors and textures. It’s raw in salads and slaws, cooked on its own or in stir-fries, soups, and pancakes, and fermented in sauerkraut and kimchi. Green and red cabbage are both crisp and they can be sweet. Both are high in fiber and vitamin C, and low in calories.

Limit higher-calorie/lower-nutrient choices like these…

Creamy coleslaw, beef-filled cabbage rolls, egg rolls, fried or braised with bacon

…And try lower-calorie/higher-nutrient options like these:

Roasted with a spritz of olive oil, braised or stewed with low-sodium broth and onions, in slaw with a small amount of yogurt-based dressing or olive oil-based vinaigrette dressing, cabbage rolls with lentils and bulgur or brown rice

Try this: Beet and Cabbage Borscht

Carrots

Limit higher-calorie/lower-nutrient choices like these…

Carrot cake, carrot muffins with sugar and white flour, glazed carrots with honey, sugar, dates, or prunes, carrots with butter or cream sauce

…And try lower-calorie/higher-nutrient options like these:

Raw carrots alone or with hummus, salsa, guacamole, or peanut butter, carrot slaw with vinaigrette or yogurt-based herb dressing, shredded carrots in salads and sandwiches, carrots in stew

Try this: Carrot Lentil Stew

Cauliflower

Cauliflower pops up in so many places now, from side dishes and casseroles to low-carb pizza crusts. It can substitute for starchy foods like potatoes in mashed potatoes and potato salad, for pasta in pasta salad, and for rice. If you simply love cauliflower, it’s a great choice for a snack when you dip it into hummus, guacamole, or bean dip. Try variations like purple or orange cauliflower, green broccoflower, and Romanesco cauliflower.

Limit higher-calorie/lower-nutrient choices like these…

With butter or cream sauce, battered and fried

…And try lower-calorie/higher-nutrient options like these:

Roasted with spices, in curries, riced, mashed, or in chunks as a low-carb, low-calorie alternative to rice and potatoes, blended into soup, dipped as a snack

Try this: Easy Spicy or Cheesy Cauliflower Popcorn

Clementines

Clementines are also known as tangerines and mandarin oranges or mandarins. They come in many varieties and are usually smaller than oranges. Like oranges, they’re high in vitamin C. Tastes range from sweet to tart. Clementines are often easy to peel and are good for snacks and in salads.

Limit higher-calorie/lower-nutrient choices like these…

Canned in syrup, in salads with mayonnaise or whipped cream

…And try lower-calorie/higher-nutrient options like these:

On their own, in salads with vegetables and lean protein, with nuts, dipped in dark chocolate

Try this: Clementine and Salmon Spinach Salad

Fennel

Fennel bulbs are in season in late autumn and winter. They’re in the fresh vegetable section of the grocery store and are usually sold as whole bulbs that you can slice or dice. Fennel’s taste is similar to that of anise, which is in black licorice. It adds a mildly sweet flavor to salads and you can have it as a side dish.

Limit higher-calorie/lower-nutrient choices like these…

In sausage, fried, or creamed

…And try lower-calorie/higher-nutrient options like these:

Baked, in salads, in sandwiches

Kale

Kale’s popularity skyrocketed 10-15 years ago, and it remains in stores and on menus. It’s a leafy vegetable with vitamins A, C, and K, as well as minerals like calcium and magnesium. It remains heartier than spinach when cooked, though it still blends well into sauces and soups. You can have kale cooked or raw.

Limit higher-calorie/lower-nutrient choices like these…

Deep fried as chips, with sausage in soup, in refined pasta dishes with creamy sauce

…And try lower-calorie/higher-nutrient options like these:

In bowls and salads with light dressing, in vegetable and bean soups with low-sodium broth, baked for snacks

Try this: Kale Snack Wraps with Hummus and Vegetables

Pears

Pears are high in fiber and abundant in autumn. Depending on the variety, they can be crisp and crunchy or slightly softer when ripe, and their sweetness varies. Pear juice is often used as a natural sweetener in manufactured products because pears can be so sweet naturally. Pears are a little trickier than apples to add to sack lunches because they can become overripe within a few hours in a paper bag. However, you can slice them and put them in an airtight container in an insulated bag.

Limit higher-calorie/lower-nutrient choices like these…

Canned in syrup, dried (especially with sulfites or sugar), candied

…And try lower-calorie/higher-nutrient options like these:

Baked, raw plain or with peanut butter or cheese, in salads, on pizza

Try this: Spiced Poached Pears

Pumpkin

Pumpkin is high in vitamin A and fiber, and it’s low in calories. It can go into sweet or savory dishes, making it an excellent choice for weight loss and healthy eating at any time. Be sure to choose canned unsweetened pumpkin puree that’s 100% pumpkin, which has 40-60 calories per half-cup, instead of canned pumpkin pie mix, which has 120 calories and 24 grams of added sugar.

Limit higher-calorie/lower-nutrient choices like these…

Sugar-sweetened pumpkin latte and other sugar-sweetened pumpkin drinks, canned pumpkin pie mix/filling, sugar-sweetened seasonal pumpkin specialties like pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin cheesecakes, and pumpkin pie

…And try lower-calorie/higher-nutrient options like these:

In soup, low-fat whole-grain macaroni and cheese, pumpkin spice oatmeal

Try this: Easy Pumpkin Pie Whole-Grain Pancakes

Sweet potatoes and yams

Sweet potatoes and yams are different, but they’re often used interchangeably in supermarkets. Look for more orange types if you want a higher amount of vitamin A from beta-carotene.

They’re naturally sweet in autumn and winter, making them great for casseroles with cinnamon and savory dishes and sides.

Limit higher-calorie/lower-nutrient choices like these…

Candied sweet potatoes and yams, sweet potato pie with sugar and a shortening or butter-based crust, fried, baked and buttered

…And try lower-calorie/higher-nutrient options like these:

Roasted with herbs and other vegetables, pureed with olive oil, garlic, sage, and low-sodium broth

Try this: Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Turnips

Turnips can seem starchy, but they are low in carbs like other non-starchy vegetables. They’re easy to peel and worth the effort because of their taste. Turnips can be almost sweet, though sometimes they can have a pleasant sharp edge to them. You can swap rutabagas for turnips in almost any recipe.

Limit higher-calorie/lower-nutrient choices like these…

Deep-fried turnip fritters with white bread crumbs, roasted or pureed turnips with butter

…And try lower-calorie/higher-nutrient options like these:

Roasted turnips with a spritz of olive oil, pureed with low-sodium broth, rosemary, and nutmeg as a swap for mashed potatoes, pureed into soups instead of cream, in stew, sliced and baked with garlic and leeks

Try this: Chicken Stew with Mushrooms and Carrots

How Lark Can Help

Work towards your weight and health goals this fall by making small changes. Lark can help you eat more produce daily. Your Lark coach is available 24/7 for encouragement and nutrition and physical activity coaching and tracking. Lark can help you make healthy choices and establish habits that fit into your lifestyle so you can lose weight and keep it off with or without GLP-1 medications.

Click here to see if you may be eligible to join Lark today!

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