Autumn Nutrition
As the temperature changes from warm Summer months, to cooler Autumn days, we see nature do the same with Autumn shades of red, yellow and orange around our gardens. This change is a friendly reminder to us all for the importance of including the rainbow in our meals and choosing colourful fruits and vegetables.
Brightly coloured fruits and vegetables contain Antioxidants, which are known to prevent a range of diseases. Eating well, particularly now, can help enhance your immune system, ready to fight off those winter ills and chills.
Try including the following foods into your autumn eating to cover these important nutrients:
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Zinc (red meat, oysters, milk, grains, lentils, nuts),
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Vitamin E (nuts and seeds),
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Vitamin D (spending time in the autumn sunshine),
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Iron (meat and legumes) and
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Vitamin C (citrus fruits and vegetables).
It can be harder to find motivation to keep exercising as the days get cooler. However, now is the time you can safely spend more time in direct sunlight without the risk of sunburn because the sun’s rays will be weaker. This will be good for your vitamin D levels. Take time to walk with nature, cycle or on those nice days take the kids to the park.
NZ Nutrition Foundation
All fruits and veges have a particular time of year when they are at their peak. Eating according to the seasons is important for a healthy and sustainable diet.
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It has a host of benefits for our health. Fresh, local produce is not picked prematurely and has unbeatable freshness and nutritional value.
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It has less impact on our pocket.
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It has less impact on our environment by reducing our carbon footprint through less around the world transportation and storage.
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And it supports local business.
Some examples of fruit and vegetables available in Autumn:
Fruit
Apples
Avocado
Feijoas
Grapes
Kiwifruit
Mandarins
Vegetables
Cabbage
Capscium
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cucumbers
Kumara
Potatoes
Keep an eye out for some warming Autumn recipes which we can post over the next few months.
