Enjoy a Fruity Autumn

Why you should eat fruit now

As the leaves start to change and the weather gets colder, it's easy to turn to comfort foods and sugary treats to satisfy our cravings. However, it's important to remember the power of nature's candy – fruits! Eating fruit during the autumn season can benefit your health in many ways, from boosting your immune system to providing essential vitamins and minerals.  Read on for our top fruit picks for this time of year. 

Enjoying fruit supports immunity, providing vitamins, minerals and fiber – perfect to help resist the first waves of colds and flus. For example, citrus fruits, berries and kiwi fruits are especially rich in antioxidant vitamin C, a free radical fighter in the body which may help prevent or delay certain cancers and heart disease and promote healthy aging. For the average person, increasing your intake won’t prevent colds all together but it may shorten their overall duration. Interestingly, one study found that participants who took vitamin C for two weeks before strenuous activity in a cold environment, such as marathoning in the snow, actually reduced their risk of cold by half! 

Choosing certain fruits (over others) can ease stomach upset, gas, and bloating, common during this time of year because some individuals cannot digest fructose, a natural sugar found in fruit. Fruits high in fructose include apples, raisins, grapes, kiwi, pears, watermelon and mango.  Switching to bananas, blackberries, cherries, oranges or papaya may be easier to tolerate because these fruits contain less fructose.  Bananas in particular contain a special fiber called inulin which helps good bacteria in the gut grow!

Another health benefit of eating fruit in autumn is that the fiber in it helps to keep you feeling full for longer as you pursue all your fall activities. It makes a perfect snack for forest walks, when sitting around the campfire, or on cozy afternoons spent playing games and reading.  Many are perfectly portable too!

How can you enjoy fruit in autumn? Start the day right with your harvest breakfast. It’s often more difficult to get out of bed on the dark mornings, so it’s lovely to be greeted by some warm treats for breakfast. Look forward to either our blueberry, almond and chocolate baked oatmeal or Blended Hawaiian Baked Oatmeal,  or mini loaded banana breads. A hot fruit and herbal tea or an aromatic chai latte is the perfect accompaniment.

And for those last-minute opportunities, bake up a batch of our pineapple flowers, sure to impress unexpected guests or add flair to any autumn dish. 

Published November 1, 2023