Getting Serious About Fall Vegetables

By Donna Stark

There are a lot of things that bring us comfort, but the thing that tops that list is the food we love to eat when the weather begins to cool down. Comfort foods during the fall and winter seasons are sometimes the only things that get us through those cold days when the temperatures drop and our bones are chilled. Our meals become more substantial, they become "warmer," and a lot of that can be attributed to all of those amazing vegetables you can find right now at your local farmers market and grocery store. Whether they are served alone or cooked together, all of them create the perfect backdrop for those yummy recipes we are starting to crave. Let's take a look at a few of them here.

Sweet Potatoes

Sure, you can always opt for a regular russet potato, but when it comes to sweet potatoes, you can never go wrong! Baked, roasted, pureed, and microwaved ... the options are endless! So head to the market and warm up every meal of the day with these darling bits of flavor. Make some sweet potato hash for breakfast, enjoy a baked sweet potato as a meal of its own for lunch, and shoo those chills away with some sweet potato soup for dinner. Of course, there are many more ways to enjoy them, you just have to look up some recipes!

Brussels Sprouts

Did you ever think that the vegetable you crinkled your nose up to when you were a child would become the hottest trend of the year when you became an adult? If there is one thing to know about Brussels sprouts, it's the right way to cook them. Nobody likes to eat mushy vegetables, but when you oven-roast these, it's nearly impossible to keep people away!

Beets

You have to be careful when serving and eating beets because they have a reputation for staining everything in sight! But don't let that keep you away from their fabulous taste and nutrition. Beets taste amazing when they are roasted, but if you have children that still refuse to eat them, sneak them into the next batch of brownies you make. Yes, you read that right! Thanks to their natural sweetness and water content, beets can make sweet treats extra flavorful.

Cauliflower

Cauliflower is another vegetable that has become super trendy to eat! Like most fall sensations, cauliflower tastes great roasted, but that's not at all where its flavor stops! Are you ready to try something new? Cauliflower steaks, riced cauliflower, and even cauliflower-crusted pizza have been hitting kitchens everywhere!

Time to Get Serious

It's always sad to see our favorite summer vegetables fade away, but we know they will be back, and now is the time to get serious about what fall has to offer. So head to your local market and pick the popular comfort foods of the season.

To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Avondale, Ariz.