Seasonal fruits. October seasonal products. Are vegetables and fruits always healthy?

October is the time of the final transition from summer to winter. In the northern hemisphere, there is a pause between the growing seasons: the average daily temperature drops below +5 °C, which is unfavorable for plant growth. Some regions have already tried on winter clothes, while others are only saying goodbye to Indian summer. Watch the changes taking place and try to adjust your diet and lifestyle following the wise prompts of nature. This will help you feel healthy, joyful and invigorated in any season.

In our permanent section "Seasonal products" Julia Maltseva, nutrition and detox specialist, herbalist, fermentalist, host of the School of Seasonal Nutrition and founder of the Yogabodylanguage.com blog, talks about the superfoods of October.

Features of seasonal nutrition

By the first frosts, summer residents and farmers harvest the last crop - cabbage, late berries - mountain ash, viburnum, lingonberries, cranberries and others. These foods have been aged on the vine all summer and tend to have the richest nutritional profile to support health.

When planning your diet with the onset of cold weather, keep in mind that our energy metabolism and metabolism increase. This allows us to better digest more complex and solid foods, such as root vegetables, grains, including those containing gluten, nuts, seeds and legumes. Such foods are rich in vitamins and minerals, contain more fats and proteins, which helps us to better tolerate low temperatures.

Gray skies and constant October rains in the middle lane do not affect our mood in the best way, so try to make your table colorful by choosing fruits and vegetables in bright colors. These foods are rich in vitamins and phytonutrients and help fight the autumn blues.

List of October seasonal products

The list was compiled for central Russia, so you need to make adjustments to take into account the characteristics of your region and climate, as well as individual needs and opportunities. Seasonal vegetables and fruits can be consumed in dried and frozen form (herbs, mushrooms, berries), as well as in the form of homemade preparations with a reasonable amount of salt. Such products retain vitamins for a long time, and some even become even more useful. Producing countries are indicated in parentheses for exclusively imported vegetables/fruits.

Vegetables:

• eggplant,
• bell pepper,
• swede (turnip),
• all types of cabbage
• mustard,
• zucchini,
• kale (kale),
• potato,
• chicory root,
• corn,
• onion,
• leek,
• chard,
• carrot,
• oat root (goat beard),
• cucumbers,
• parsnips (root)
• radish,
• radish,
• turnip,
• beet,
• celery (root and stems)
• squash,
• sweet potato (yam),
• tomatoes,
• Jerusalem artichoke (Mexico),
• pumpkin,
• fennel,
• horseradish,
• zucchini,
• garlic.

Fruits and berries:

• avocado (Israel, Mexico),
• quince,
• bananas (Africa),
• barberry,
• hawthorn,
• elder,
• grape,
• grenades (Turkey, Azerbaijan),
• pears,
• viburnum,
• kiwi (China, Turkey),
• kizikl,
• cranberry,
• lemons, limes (CIS, China, Turkey),
• tangerines (Turkey),
• sea ​​​​buckthorn,
• olives (Tunisia, Turkey),
• Rowan,
• plums,
• tomatoes,
• feijoa,
• chokeberry,
• rose hip,
• apples.

Forest mushrooms

Nuts (including coconut)

Cereals :

• pseudocereals (buckwheat, sesame);
• cereals (mainly ancient cereals that have not been selected, genetically modified - quinoa, amaranth, wild rice and others);
• legumes (peas, beans, chickpeas, soybeans, vetch, lentils, beans, peanuts).

Best seasonal recipes

In October, give preference to cream soups from seasonal root vegetables - pumpkin, zucchini, carrots - flavored with aromatic warming spices (turmeric, coriander, pepper), salads with sesame or olive oil and toppings from nuts and seeds, smoothies with avocado baked in coconut butter, vegetables, homemade sourdough or sprouted bread, fermented vegetables, seasonal fruits and berries - apples, pomegranates, pears, late berries - fresh or baked (for example, apples with walnuts, viburnum pie).

In the pursuit of health and beauty, we strive to eat a balanced diet, giving preference to natural farm products that are sold in the markets. But here it is important to choose not only seasonal products, but also those that will help the body recover after the winter period.

1. Citrus

At the end of winter, when choosing foods, we advise you to focus on those that contain vitamin C. This will help you support the body, weakened by a long winter and less varied food than in summer. Buy regular and red Turkish oranges, as well as tangerines and grapefruits.

2. Nuts

Feel free to buy any nuts that you like, because the widest range of this healthy product is presented on the shelves. Not all nuts have the same properties, so it's best to buy several types and alternate between them. It can be either the usual walnuts, hazelnuts or cashews, or more exotic ones, such as Brazil nuts, pecans or macadamia.

3. Greens

Agree that winter food is more monotonous than summer food. In order to add taste, it is enough to sprinkle any dish with chopped herbs, and it will sparkle with new flavors. Actively use not only parsley and dill, but also basil and mint. And be sure to include spinach in your February menu.

4. Dried fruits

A wonderful option for February sweets will be dried fruits, which are rich in minerals and various trace elements. Going to the market, be sure to buy raisins and dried apricots, figs and prunes, dates and apricots. All these dried fruits can be eaten separately or made into energy bars.

5. Root crops

Now on the market you can find many root vegetables that we do not eat so often. Among them are parsnips and parsley root, turnip and celery root. These products will diversify your usual diet and fill the body with vitamins.

6. Sweet pepper

We have already mentioned how important it is to get enough vitamin C, which is why you should definitely buy bell peppers that are rich in this vitamin. Red peppers are best, but yellow and green peppers are not much lower in vitamin C.

7. Exotic fruits

Exotic fruits are especially popular in winter. Most often they are brought from Thailand, so check with the sellers on what days there are deliveries in order to be guaranteed to buy only the freshest mangoes and passion fruits, pineapples and lychees.

8. Green vegetables

Green vegetables are a group of foods that should be in the diet all the time, especially if you are looking for health and want to stay slim. For simpler and more affordable green vegetables in February, choose broccoli and Brussels sprouts, as well as green beans and asparagus. True, the latter is most often brought so far only on order.

So, let's start the analysis of the June fruits.

Cherries in June

Cherry and opens the summer season. In addition, such a berry will saturate your body with copper. Copper is actively involved in the formation of collagen, which determines the elasticity and firmness of our skin, and, accordingly, down with wrinkles! Cherries support the production of melanin. If you lie under the sun and at the same time treat yourself to the fruits of juicy cherries, the body at this time enterprisingly produces a saving pigment for your skin, protects it from the damaging effects of sunlight.

Carrots in June

Carrots are a completely different story, which is described in the post. Fresh carrots can relieve overwork, and carrot juice or an orange will not only quench your thirst, but also improve your mood with a strong dose.

June green salad

Green salad is a great companion on every trip. It will reduce the headache caused by changing weather conditions and time zones, flights and moving. June salad is almost 90% water, which allows it to be called the lowest calorie food.

The main value in this vegetable is vitamins of youth. To normalize the work of the endocrine glands of the female body, natural antioxidants are required, which are in the sea in green salad! By the way, for travel, in addition to a green salad, take films on the road, but you can.

june strawberry

in June. Yes Yes Yes. In some regions of Russia, it is already sold in full from the beds of diligent summer residents and gardeners. Strawberries will support your memory in a downright brain-melting heat and stand against spring beriberi.

June greenery

Green onions, dill, parsley and other greens are generally green utility itself. We kill microbes, wipe the face with a cold decoction of dill, so that acne and pimples do not pop out ahead of time. In addition, the very aroma of a mixture of all these greens will make any dish appetizing and beautiful.

Not a radish, but a June radish

Radishes are recommended by nutritionists. They suggest that the earliest vegetable is more often included in your diet for those people who are prone to fullness. Radish acts as a mild diuretic, removes toxins from the body, prevents weight gain and swelling. Rich in vitamins and essential oils, due to which working enthusiasm and energy rise.

June turnip

Turnips are another low-calorie food that will save your stomach from surprises and saturate the body with vitamin C, it is twice as much in turnips as in oranges and lemons!

Other June fruits and vegetables

Autumn is a generous harvest and the brightest time of the year. As well as the time for reconfiguring the body: the weather changes, the days shorten, our body gradually switches to winter mode. About how to maintain your health and live the autumn harmoniously without losing the energy level accumulated over the summer -. Today we will talk about why seasonal products will help you support yourself before the winter.

Nowadays, on the shelves of stores in any season, you can buy almost any fruit and vegetable: pineapples, apples, cucumbers and radishes. But only at certain times these products are seasonal, ie. the most recent. Seasonal vegetables and fruits retain the most nutrients.

1. The first category of seasonal products is from your region / country (or even better - from your summer cottage).

They should be given preference in the first place:

• the shortest period of time passes from the garden to the counter: vegetables and fruits reach farmers' markets in a matter of days, and sometimes even hours
• they are the least processed: vegetables and fruits intended for immediate sale do not undergo special processing necessary for long-term storage

2. The second category of seasonal products is from other countries.

Here it is worth choosing neighboring countries: for example, the season of tangerines and feijoa is already beginning in Georgia, delivery from Georgia to Russian counters is fast enough, so fruits and vegetables get to your table with a good content of vitamins and minerals.

Out-of-season products can lie in storage and on the shelves for a long time, 6-8 months. They can even look very attractive. But the taste is often lost. And the nutritional value from such a long storage and processing, necessary to preserve the appearance of the product, drops significantly.

Therefore, catch the colorful season and choose the very freshest, both for food and for preparations for the winter.

Autumn foods will help you get the most nutrition and support your body before winter: combine different colors, use gentle cooking methods (stew, saute, steam, bake), fantasize with different textures - this will provide your body with the most nutrients before in winter.

The best autumn foods to boost immunity

Celery

Rose hip

Hawthorn

Sea ​​buckthorn

Autumn vegetables and fruits to get the maximum of vitamins and minerals

for this task, you need to make a vegetable and fruit rainbow, because each color is a signal about a certain phytonutrient:

Vegetables

eggplant

Cabbage of all kinds

colorful peppers

Squash

Tomatoes

Corn

Berries and fruits :

chokeberry

Cowberry

tangerines

The freshest nuts and seeds are also autumn ones: it is better to buy them in shells and clean them at home before eating.

What to do with all this diversity? Cook delicious soups, vegetable stews, stuffed vegetables, salads, compotes, prepare for the winter!

(beginning September 25th) we will enjoy familiar and new seasonal vegetable dishes, experience how vegetables can help cleanse the body, energize, provide lightness, and how they are delicious in a wide variety of combinations. Hurry up to register, it will be an interesting experience!

In the meantime, I share a delicious seasonal recipe:

RATATOUY

Ingredients:

1 eggplant

1 medium size zucchini

2 tomatoes

1 garlic clove

1 cup tomato paste (you can make your own by grinding a tomato in a blender)

Olive oil

Salt pepper

A bunch of greens (parsley, cilantro, dill)

Cooking:

1. Cut vegetables into thin slices
2. Fold in a glass form, alternating the sequence
3. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic. Drizzle with olive oil. Send to the oven under foil for 30 minutes at 180 degrees.
4. After 30 minutes, take it out and pour the tomato sauce on top.
5. Send to the oven for another 10 minutes without foil.
6. Ready! Serve sprinkled with herbs.

• When choosing fruits and vegetables, give preference to seasonal products.
• Vegetables grown outdoors are healthier and safer than greenhouse vegetables.
• They are less likely to have elevated concentrations of pesticides or nitrates.
• However, a conscientious producer will carefully monitor the concentration of hazardous substances and in recent years more and more quality Russian greenhouse products have appeared (for example, Mirinda cucumbers or Uzbek tomatoes)
• Fruits and vegetables imported from other countries may be picked unripe and ripen on the road, reducing their nutritional value.
• Some products are brought to the Russian Federation all year round thanks to technologies that allow preserving taste and nutritional values ​​during transportation (for example, from South America, southern countries).
• In the summer, products are brought mainly from Russia (Rostov, Krasnodar) (vegetables, berries, some fruits) and CIS countries (Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan - fruits, berries, some vegetables)
• May is a conditional beginning of the summer season: the first fruits and berries from the southern countries appear: Uzbek cherries, apricots, Azerbaijani cherry plums, etc.
• The summer season lasts approximately until October (yearly dates vary depending on the weather).
• At the beginning of "their season" products are expensive, but later, when the season becomes massive, prices go down.
• Since November, the "winter" season begins: they bring products from far abroad (Peru, Chile, Morocco), a lot of greenhouse and last year's autumn vegetables.
• Prolonged storage of vegetables leads to the loss of vitamins and minerals. At the end of winter, give preference to frozen and imported products, rather than long-term stored autumn vegetables - there are more nutrients there.
• Fresh vegetables appear from the first days of April.

What are the current seasonal products?

FRUIT:

• Cherry: this year appeared on the 1st of May, 1st batch - from Tajikistan, now from Uzbekistan. The taste is getting better every day, gaining sweetness. Season - until August, but the most delicious - until the end of July
• Apricots: now from Uzbekistan, appeared in mid-May, the taste is better every day. Season~until the end of July. The most fragrant, tender variety of apricots is the Armenian Shalah. During the season, the producers change: first Uzbek, then Armenian and Azerbaijani
• Strawberries: strawberries appear in December, in the beginning greenhouse, from the end of April - ground. The most delicious now is from Greece: large, sweet. In May, you can find Crimean strawberries, but they are inferior to Greek ones in taste, not so sweet. The season of Russian strawberries starts ~ in June (Rostov, Krasnodar), but the season lasts a little, 3 weeks
• Strawberries: Russian - from mid-June. Very short season, 2-3 weeks
• Peaches, nectarines, flat peaches: appeared in early May, now from Chile. In July they will be from the CIS countries. Especially tasty and juicy peaches are from Armenia, their season is September-early October
• Gooseberries, cherries: Russian ~ from mid-June. Season ~ to August
• Watermelon can be found almost all year round: May from Iran, the end of July - Uzbek, Dagestan. The best and most delicious are Astrakhan ~ in August-September, but not every year successful
• Uzbek melon "Torpeda" is the most delicious, season June-October

VEGETABLES:

• Cucumbers, carrots, beets: from the 1st of May - Lukhovitsky cucumbers (Russia). The season is until September, (the most delicious). The first days of April are young vegetables: carrots and beets with tops
• Cabbage: from mid-April (first from Macedonia, then from Uzbekistan, then Russian), the season is all summer
• Tomatoes: in the 1st of May - delicious pink tomatoes from Azerbaijan, will be all summer. From Rostov in mid-May, delicious "Paradise" and "Bull's Heart" will appear, will be all summer.

Have time to enjoy delicious products!

pictures from meetatglobalkitchen.com