Get your fill of fall superfoods

By Mayo Clinic staff 

The trees aren't the only thing that should be colorful this fall. With summer gone, pumpkins, sweet potatoes and other fall foods are making their debuts in farmer’s markets and grocery stores, ready to color up your plate. Find out what the best superfoods are this fall.

POTATOES

Sweet potatoes usually take the cake for being a fall superfood. Sweet potatoes are high in vitamin A, a vitamin linked to decreasing risks of cancer.

What may surprise you is the health benefits of your average, everyday potato.

The white potato has a bad reputation, based on the fact that it’s a starch and high in carbohydrates, which our society has wrongly convinced themselves they need to cut. However, the white potato actually holds a lot of nutritional value.

In the white potato’s defense, it’s high in vitamin C, which greatly aids beating those fall/cold-weather colds and boosts your immune system.

DARK GREENS

There’s a reason your mom tried to get you to eat spinach. In light of what dark leafy greens have to offer for health, you might want to willingly eat them. The best of the bunch include spinach, kale and collard greens, and here’s why:

Any dark green means the vegetable is packed full of vitamin A, an antioxidant that serves as a huge booster to the immune system and healthy cell growth.

WINTER SQUASH/PUMPKIN

Your pumpkin spice latte may be far from healthy, but pumpkins still make the cut for a top superfood. 

If you have trouble sleeping, consider saving your pumpkin seeds. They are loaded with magnesium. Studies show magnesium aids in sleep and muscle relaxation, so save those pumpkin seeds for a late-night snack if you’re feeling restless.

APPLES

The saying goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, and there’s a reason doctors encourage you to eat them. Though they aren't high in many vitamins, nutritionists argue that they serve as a healthy alternative when you’re reaching for the sweet treats. They’re also high in fiber.

BROCCOLI

Broccoli continues to be on the list of general superfoods, but in fall, it's prime for boosting your immune system with high vitamin C levels. While the fall air is crisp and refreshing, the air we breathe on a day-to-day basis isn't always the most pure. A study found that broccoli produces a compound that detoxifies air pollutants in the body.

FAST AND FABULOUS FALL RECIPE

To make the most of fall superfoods, try this 160-calorie, quick-and-easy-to-make snack to get your essential nutrients and still be a part of the fall spirit.