ZAP Bites: Fall Super Foods
Image via How Sweet Eats & Fresh Thyme
It’s hard to miss the crisp mornings we’re experiencing in the Midwest lately urging us to grab a light coat before heading out. With that change of season, we also notice a change in our cravings opting for heavier and often sweeter dishes, looking at you, Pumpkin Spice Latte!
Our client, Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, helps us take advantage of the season’s bounty while also staying healthy with a plethora of super foods, gearing up for the winter ahead and preventing fall colds and winter weight loss slumps!
A few seasonal favorites include:
- Brussels Sprouts – packed in fiber and offering some satiating protein, these nutrient-dense sprouts offer many antioxidants, folate, vitamin C and more.
- Sweet Potato – a staple of the season, this tuber helps regulate blood sugar curbing your appetite and helping you digest with healthy fiber. Try them in this delicious Sweet Potato Turkey Meatloaf all season long.
- Cinnamon – Call it a super spice, cinnamon packs a lot of flavor and health benefits including regulating blood sugar, boosting metabolism, lowering cholesterol and helping you shed some unwanted pounds all fall. Added in these Perfect Pear Muffins with dates, almond butter and honey, it’s a perfect start to any crisp morning.
- Cauliflower – it may be the vegetable of 2016 for a reason! This low-carb, high-fiber, omega-3-packed super food is the perfect potato substitute! Enjoy it in this Creamy Cauliflower and Leek Gratin, a perfect complement to chicken or meat dishes, and even turkey dinner.
- Pumpkin Seeds – a special bonus for your favorite fall pumpkin patch trip, these seeds are high in protein and fiber, rich in omega-3s and loaded with tryptophan, reducing stress and helping you sleep. This Butternut Squash noodle dish is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
- Spaghetti Squash – this low-carb, low-calorie substitute for pasta also has antioxidants, beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, all linked to healthy eyes and visions.
- Maple Syrup – a sweetener that doesn’t cause boating or digestive problems? Sign us up! Plus it’s high in magnesium, which lowers levels of cortisol and reduces belly fat. Enjoy it in this maple hazelnut granola on top of your morning yogurt.
- Pomegranate – These seeds offer digestion-aiding fiber and cancer-fighting antioxidants, while also being delicious. We love them covered in dark chocolate or in this Spinach Salad.
- Fire Cider – They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away but so does a tablespoon of Fire Cider. This year-round staple is necessary for beating off a change of season cold and packs a punch of orange, lemons, onions, ginger, horseradish, habanero pepper, garlic and turmeric in each spoonful. Our team likes to take them daily!
Carly Kuikman, Senior Publicist