Eating for the season is such a simple practice to supercharge the health benefits of our meals. It is also:
- Less expensive (because there is a surplus)
- More nutrient dense (closer to the harvest date)
- Sweeter flavor (because fresh food tastes better)
- Better for the environment (not as far to travel)
- Supports our seasonal nutrition needs (helps support our immune system in the cooler months)
An easy way to know what is in season is to look for what is on sale and typically positioned towards the entrance at your local grocery store. Or you can just cook up these recipes I have linked below. They are some of my favorite recipes using seasonal fall ingredients to help boost your immune system.
Fall Harvest Honeycrisp Apple & Kale Salad
You would be hard-pressed to fit any more seasonal ingredients into this salad. And honestly, it’s just plain beautiful. Admittedly this one is a little more time consuming than your average salad, but it is well worth the extra effort. The kale also stands up to wilting so it will last a few days in the refrigerator.
Immune Boosting Ingredient:
Pectin is a type of fiber found in apples and acts as a prebiotic. Prebiotics are the food for probiotics and keep them alive and healthy so they can help you digest and support your immune system (as we learned here).
Full Recipe & Photo Credit: HalfbakedHarvest.com
The Best Chicken Soup You’ll Ever Eat
Monique makes a pretty big claim with this title, but I think that you will agree that she lives up to it. Perhaps more importantly, she packs so many nutritious ingredients into this recipe (garlic, ginger, turmeric, herbs, broth) that you may live forever 😉 I would opt for dark meat chicken for the extra Vitamin A & zinc. If you want to make your own bone broth you can find a recipe here.
Immune Boosting Ingredient:
Ginger has powerful anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. (Fun fact – this is why it is typically served with sushi). It has also been shown to have a great benefit when it comes to digestive and cardiovascular health.
Full Recipe & Photo Credit: AmbitiousKitchen.com
Garlic Baked Salmon
I’m a girl that loves a sheet pan meal. Perhaps it is the way that the flavors combine…more likely it is because it is freakin easy! This recipe is excellent as is, but I have also swapped out the butter for olive oil. No disrespect to butter! The olive oil just has a slightly lighter flavor profile that I love.
Immune Boosting Ingredient:
Last week we went into the immune benefits of Vitamin D and how salmon is a fantastic food source during the winter months. Make sure to choose wild salmon because it has ~4x the amount of vitamin D as farmed.
Full Recipe & Photo Credit: CafeDelites.com
Curried Sweet Potatoes & Chickpeas
This is another sheet pan meal but 100% plant based. Far from bland, it is spiced with curry, gram masala, garlic, ginger and tahini. This is an incredibly nutrient dense, flavorful, and honestly really inexpensive meal.
Immune Boosting Ingredient:
Sweet potatoes are one of the best dietary sources of Vitamin A. Vitamin A plays a really unique role in the immune system by helping trap bacteria and infectious agents and transporting them out of your body.
Full Recipe & Photo Credit: MinimalistBaker.com
Thai Chicken with Spicy Lime Mango
This is one of Tieghan’s weeknight recipes, which means that she magically packs a ton of flavor into a 30 minute meal. It really is incredible! You may be surprised that mango is actually in season during the fall, but that means that it is extra tasty and (slightly) easier to cut 😉
Immune Boosting Ingredient:
Zinc is a really powerful mineral when it comes to the proper functioning of your immune system. However, it is one of those nutrients where more isn’t necessarily better. So, supplementing isn’t a bad idea if you feel a cold coming on, but if you do it too long it can actually hinder your immune response. For prevention it is best to get it from food. It is found in the dark meat chicken, nuts and grains in this dish.
Full Recipe & Photo Credit: HalfbakedHarvest.com
