Fall Seasonal Produce Guide

When I was a kid, I tried to emulate Bugs Bunny.

I remember pulling carrots out of dirt from my grandparents’ backyard garden. They’d barely get a wash under the outdoor spigot before I was crunching away on the subterranean gems, root hairs tickling my face, the frilly tops thrown into the compost heap. Reminiscing on that garden has inspired me to eat more seasonally in the last few years.

Eating with the seasons used to be a lot easier: produce wasn’t trucked in from thousands of miles away or floated on boats across oceans; folks tended to shop locally; and small farms or even backyard gardens yielded different produce depending on the time of year.

Now that fall is here, there’s a new bounty of tasty things to try: hard squashes galore, apples of every red hue, and cauliflower – perfect for ricing – are just a few of my favorites (scroll down for some autumn-inspired recipes).

Click for my free Fall Seasonal Produce Guide (PDF):

The Paleo / Primal / ancestral movement is definitely shedding more light on returning to this way of eating. If you can’t grow your own or there isn’t a farmer’s market near you, consider including some seasonal fruits and veggies into your weekly mix. Why? They’re likely to be fresher, and if you buy local, haven’t traveled very far. It’s also a great way to force variety into your diet so you’re not eating broccoli every night for the rest of your life and only snacking on sliced apples. This’ll help stave off boredom and get some diversity into the micronutrients you’re consuming.

I’m not saying you can only eat produce when it’s in season, but challenge yourself to try a new fall veggie or fruit. You may find something unexpectedly delicious! [Note: exact availability is often highly dependent on country and even region.]

Here are some of my fall-star recipes: