With warm and strong colours, the fruit and vegetables that we can find in the month of November help us to make this otherwise gloomy month more cheerful and lively.
With the arrival of autumn, nature gives us products rich in flavor and benefits, ideal for facing the first cold weather and strengthening our body. And what’s better to fight seasonal ailments than a hot cauliflower soup or a freshly baked apple strudel? The fruits and vegetables of this period not only satisfy the palate, but are also full of vitamins and minerals that help us maintain energy and good mood in an often melancholy season.
Among the protagonists of autumn, cauliflower, fennel and artichoke stand out, versatile and nutritious vegetables. Cauliflower, rich in vitamin C and A, is an ally against anemia and inflammation. Fennel, crunchy and refreshing, has diuretic and purifying properties, while the artichoke, in addition to its unmistakable flavour, is appreciated for its ability to lower cholesterol and counteract aging thanks to antioxidants.
Let’s not forget autumn gifts such as apples, chestnuts and persimmons, perfect for enriching snacks and desserts with a healthy touch. Every bite of these seasonal fruits brings us closer to nature and its benefits, helping us prepare for winter in a tasty and healthy way.
Vegetables
Cauliflower
With its bright green color it is a pleasure to see it master on the market stalls. Typical autumn plant, the cauliflower it is very rich in vitamin C, A and vitamin B. Recommended for those suffering from anemia, as it is an excellent source of iron and other mineral salts, such as potassium, folic acid and magnesium.
Cooked au gratin but also steamed by adding a little raw oil and a few drops of lemon, cauliflower has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties, is purifying and is particularly suitable in cases of diabetes because it does not contain gluten (it is also suitable for celiacs ).
Fennel
Fresh crunchy, with a pleasant flavour, excellent as a side dish but also to conclude a meal, the fennel it is a vegetable with a thousand virtues: as well as being low in fat, it is purifying and diuretic, very rich in fiber and suitable for many recipes, both raw and cooked.
An ally of beauty and health, it is ideal for those following a slimming diet. Furthermore, if taken in the form of hot herbal tea, it is a good remedy for regular digestion.
Artichoke
We’ve been waiting for it for a long time but it’s finally arrived on our tables! The artichoke! Very rich in iron, carbohydrates and vitamins C, it contains an important active ingredient, cynarin which appears to have an essential role in lowering cholesterol levels.
Even if cleaning requires a little patience, in the kitchen this plant with multiple properties can give us a lot of satisfaction thanks to its versatility. Famous as a side dish, the Giudia style ones, artichokes can however be used to make many tasty first courses but also second courses such as a soft soufflé.
And finally, a little curiosity, thanks to their high content of antioxidants, from a study conducted by Coldiretti, artichokes, if added regularly to the diet, seem to help us to counteract aging and therefore to fight wrinkles.
ARTICHOKES: properties, USES AND BENEFITS
And again in your vegetable basket for this month you could put:
Fruit
Chestnuts
And if the French prefer them glacé, we Italians love them instead hot and crunchy, roasted on the fire. In foil to munch on during a nice Sunday walk, or even better in front of the fireplace chestnuts which we have already talked about extensively, suggesting how to cook them, are finally ready to be harvested.
And after bringing home a nice basket, be careful about binging, because with multiple nutritional properties, these wonderful fruits of nature are however very rich in carbohydrates even if they are low in fat. Excellent for enriching soups and stews, they are equally versatile and tasty when added to savory and sweet recipes.
Month of November: sowing, harvesting and work in the garden
Apples
From the countless varieties, red, yellow or green, the important thing is that we are crunchy, juicy and with a sugary flavour! The applesperfect as a delicious mid-morning or afternoon snack, they can actually be the main ingredient of great desserts.
With a pinch of cinnamon and baked, they are excellent for warming us up during the cool autumn evenings. But also in salads, caramelized or in grandma’s famous apple pie, these sweet, health-friendly sweets are rich in sugars (glucose, fructose and sucrose) and contain a good amount of fibre, vitamin C and potassium.
Any advice? Take an apple, wash it very well and eat it with the whole peel. In fact, it is known that apple peel has beneficial anti-tumor properties, thanks to the flavonoids and phenols it contains.
Apples: all the benefits and how to best use them
For the entire month of November we can still find:
And to enrich the diet with the flavors and benefits of the season, we can also take advantage of other autumn products such as cauliflower, fennel and artichoke, which not only color the dishes but help keep the body in balance. In particular, cauliflower is a source of vitamin C and minerals ideal for strengthening the immune system; fennel, on the other hand, is an excellent digestive and diuretic ally, perfect for helping the body in the colder season. Finally, the artichoke, rich in iron and antioxidants, is precious for those looking for a tasty and protective food against aging.
Autumn fruit and vegetables give us a rainbow of nutrients: from persimmons to apples to chestnuts, every seasonal fruit is a precious ally. And even if the weather starts to cool, stocking up on these autumn gifts is an excellent idea to prepare for winter with taste and health.
