A good diet can not only improve health and prevent disease, it can also help reduce the environmental footprint. That’s why keeping in mind seasonal fruits and vegetables is so important. This time we bring you the fruits and vegetables of September.
September fruits
The beginning of September marks the beginning of the apple season and other autumn fruits such as dates, raspberries, figs, kiwis, mango, apples, melons, Calanda peaches, blackberries, nectarines, pears, bananas and grapes.
Avocado is one of the star fruits of the diets and at this time of the year it is optimal to consume it in breakfasts or salads. The success of this food is that it offers many benefits:
- Source of energy and nutrients: it contains vitamins K, C, B5, B6 and E, potassium and folic acid.
- It has more potassium than bananas: it contains 14% potassium compared to 10% in bananas.
- Avocado is good for the heart: it contains oleic acid, like olive oil, which helps to increase good cholesterol and reduce bad cholesterol, as well as reduce inflammation.
- It is rich in fiber: helping not only to lose weight, but also to reduce blood sugar and avoid constipation.
- It is low in cholesterol and triglycerides: it is low in LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides and helps to increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
- Helps to absorb other nutrients: thanks to its high concentration of vitamin C, it facilitates the reception of natural nutrients.
- Eye health: it is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, two important compounds for eye health.
Other fruits available for consumption in September are chestnut, custard apple, plum, pomegranate, lemon, tangerine, quince, pineapple and watermelon.
September vegetables
In the case of vegetables, chard, eggplant, sweet potato, pumpkin, onion, mushroom, parsnip, lettuce, okra, potato, cucumber, bell pepper, leek and tomato are in optimal season for consumption in this month.
Although pumpkin is the real protagonist in the month of October due to Halloween, it is in September when its consumption is at its best. This vegetable is very versatile in terms of cooking: it can be eaten raw, in salads, steamed or boiled and also cooked with other foods. It is very common to roast it in the oven: then its pulp is extracted and mashed for soups, purees or creams.
It is also a good season to eat celery, zucchini, lamb’s lettuce, chicory, green beans and carrots.
It is also a good month to enjoy the first almonds of the year and eat baby corn on the cob.