Foodie Family: Autumnal Healthy Eating

This particular change of seasons... The colourful leaves falling from the sky remind us that the Mother Nature has started going into The hibernation mode. Fresh in a morning. Cold at night. Rainy days... Gloomy weather.

Hello, Autumn.

As the common misconception dictates us: it's time to get depressed. BUT! I am convinced that every season can be enjoyable if you introduce some small changes to your lifestyle. Let's talk about savouring the body&soul warming healthy meals and the precious moments in the loving company of your family and friends.

Main Points:

The wisdom and simple lifehacks of healthy seasonal eating lifestyle.
Seasonal eating strengthens your health, saves your money and contributes to the enviroment protection.
Discrover the automnal fruits and veggies. Learn more about the health and beauty benefits of consuming pumpkin and persimon.
Improve your family's eating habits and raise foodie by joining the Modern Parenting Program "Foodie Family: Healthy Eating. Infusion of Cultures"

Foodie, Gourmand, Gourmet

I am a Foodie. We’re The Foodie family. Not that fancy-pancy gourmet, but definitely a modest gourmand. Through our dynamic experiences of living in and traveling to different countries, we have learned to pick up "the cherry on top" from the various cuisines and created our own special Foodie infusion. Surely, you would ask: "What is actually the difference between foodie, gourmand and gourmet?" Me too. Been lost in translation for quite some time on these concepts. So, let's figure it out together.!

A foodie is a person who has an ardent or refined interest in food and who eats food not only out of hunger but also as a hobby. Foodie - Wikipedia. The noun gourmand refers to someone who is extremely (and often excessively) fond of eating and drinking. A gourmet is someone with refined tastes who enjoys (and knows a lot about) fine food and drink. Commonly Confused Words: Gourmand and Gourmet (thoughtco.com)

We are indeed big eaters. Our Foodie family loves tasty and healthy meals (continuous work in progress...). However, it's not just the action of simply consuming good food. It's the process itself and, especially, the bonding experience. We enjoy sharing our interest in good food and cooking as part of our quality family time.

We regularly taste new flavours and find the best of the best of our favorites. New discoveries. Revisiting regulars. Home-cooking. Eat out. Order in. Food festivals. A picnic or an open-air barbeque...Travelling to another country to taste a different cuisine. The famous Pan-Asiatic, French or Italian, or The basic fast food and street take-aways. For brekfast, brunch, lunch or English-style afternoon tea, a fancy dinner or a light supper. And not to forget that this savouring also includes beverages, both alchoholic and non-alcoholic, a healthy freshly-squeezed detox drinks, a cup of special tea and coffee, or just a can of fizz... The last but not least is the enviroment of the location and, surely, a loving ambiance of family and friends...

Why Eat With Seasons?

The answer is more obvious than you would expect: healthy eating, pragmatic budgeting and do-good&feel-good concept. Now let's unpack these three reasons one by one starting with the healthy lifestyle mantra. "Oh... The fall is here. The flu season. My kids get sick non-stop... The oldest has just recovered, the youngest got sick. Then, it's my partner. Myself is the last one to fall ill if lucky this time. As the primary care-giver, nurse, therapist, cook, cleaning person, household keeper and any other you-name-it unpaid job predominantly mothers do 24/7... Plus to the paid, hopefully just 40 hours per week, profesional activity of the working mother that juggles everything in her speedy life... I cannot afford getting sick! Just can't! But..." Recognize yourself in this vicious cycle? Keep asking yourself how to change it? The answer is simple: try out the eating with seasons to strengthen your immune system and of your family members.

The time of harvest brings an abundance of fresh foods that grew all summer and are now ripe and ready to enjoy. Fall fruits and fall vegetables are not only delicious, they’re also packed with nutrients your body needs to keep your immune system strong before temperatures turn chilly. Fall Fruits & Vegetables: 10 Healthy Produce to Eat in Autumn (foodrevolution.org)

Healthy eating = colourful seasonal foods. We should start cultivating a healthy eating habit as early as possible. Preferably, when you introduce your 6-months old baby to solids. I give a step-by-step guide in my article Raising Foodie Baby: Infusion of Cuisines & Methods (modernparenting.online). You don't need to hire an expensive dietologist. Or buy food in special stores. Just need to learn more about seasonal nutrition and follow a basic rule of 5 fruits&veggies a day. That's the motto of our foodie family. And it's persistently recommended by the World Health Organization. At Modern Parenting for New and Experienced Parents, we are convinced that a healthy diet includes 5 items of different coulour seasonal produce to be consumed during your day.

There is a myriad of benefits to eating with the seasons, but in essence, it’s better for your body, your wallet, your community, and the world around you. 25 Best Fall Fruits and Vegetables - What to Know About Autumn Produce (countryliving.com)

Moreover, the seasonal eating saves your money. I prefer shopping for fruits and vegetables in the open markets or Sunday markets. Interestingly, if you make a comparative analysis, the total expediture per month turns out much less than buying in the chain supermarkets or small grocery shops. And often much better quality produce. However, if you are not big fan of open-air shopping, just have a look at the seasonal produce in your usual market place. It's much cheaper to buy brocolli or spinach in autumn, for example.

Lastly, a kind deed per day makes us happier and more satisfied with ourselves and our life. If you buy the seasonal fruits&veggies from the local farmers and producers, you make your important input to the development of the local economy. In addition, you decrease your carbon footprint and contribute to the protection of our Planet Earth. Finally, don't forget that our children learn rather from what's done not told by their adults in the family. So... Do good. Feel good. Be a good example for your children.

Autumn Seasonal Fruits&Veggies

Well, it does indeed depend on your geographical location. Check out in your local grocery shop. In some places, the annual calendar of local seasonal fruits and vegetables are distributed. Or you can surely find it online. There are many websites that give this information based on the choisen location. It’s easier when you simply follow a table of seasonal fruits&veggies. However, the typical fall produce is following:

Fruit: cranberries, apples, pomegranates, citrus fruits, and pears
Green veggies: arugula, broccoli, spinach, kale, celery, and artichokes
Root veggies: onions, carrots, squash, pumpkin, turnips, and sweet potato
Whole grains: brown rice, quinoa, oats, and millet
Legumes: beans, chickpeas, lentils, soybeans.
Fish: sea bass, cod, sole, and haddock
Herbs: ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, rosemary, thyme, basil, and dill. Exactly What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season for Fall (camillestyles.com)

Our Favorites in Autumn

Pumpkin and persimmon! What's yours? When it comes to our autumn favorites, we teach our children: "Orange foods help you see better in the dark" and explain that it is due to Vitamin A.

We love pumpkin in fall! It is easy to cook, low in calories as well as full of vitamins and minerals. Imagine, a bowl of the heart-warming pumpkin soup with seeds on a cold rainy autumn day or slices of pumpkin as a side dish to your roasted chicken or fish. Simply put into the oven or steamer. Or how about crispy pumpkin samosa for breakfast? It is a fried or baked pastry with a pumpkin filling. Check out health and beauty benefits of pumpkin:

Improves vision health : 245% of Vitamin A of the Reference Daily Intake. (to compare with 1 persimmon which is 55% of Vitamin A that we should take a day);
An excellent antioxidant (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin) to reduce the risk of chronic diseases and cancer;
Boosts the immune system: it contains Vitamin C that increases white blood cell production to help immune cells work better and wounds to heal faster;
Protects from sight loss: in addition to Vit A, pumpkin contains lutein and zeaxanthin which lowers risks of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts;
Weight loss: 245 grams of pumpkin (a cup) is 50 calories and 94% of water;
Improves heart health thanks to potassium and fiber;
Promotes healthy skin: carotenoids together with other vitamins protect from harmful UV rays.

The autumn fruit for me is persimmon. It has a particular taste. Our 2-year old and teenager have mixed feelings about it. But we continue repeating to our children: ‘Orange foods help you see better in the dark’. When they ask ‘Why?’, we explain the nutritional benefits of that particular food. Persimmon contains 55% of Vitamin A that we need a day, which is good for vision health.

Do you know why persimmon is beneficial for your health?

lots of nutrients (Vitamins A, C, E, K, B6, potassium and others)
superbe antioxidant
boosts heart health
helps to reduce inflamation
lowers cholesterol (fiber)
improves vision

Every night at the dinner table, I ask my loved ones: "How many fruits&veggies today? Made it to 5?" And we start counting together and add up the missing items on the spot. How do you make sure that you and your family eat well and healthy?

Book Your Session

Our Program "Foodie Family: Healthy Eating. Infusion of Cultures" could share with you very simple lifehacks on improving your healthy eating habits and teach your children to become foodies. During an introduction session, we will make a personal SWAT analysis to identify the gaps in the eating habits of your family, define the areas for improvement and decide on your goals. The following sessions are personalized based on this session. Book your session now and here! It's never too late to live better...

Eat well. Love deep. Smile genuinely.

Gulnoz

Your Life Coach for Parents aka Oxford Human Rights Lawyer

P.S. If you like this article, treat me to a cup of coffee to keep me going… Add a joyful moment to my day! And to my “healthy” caffein consumption… (giggling). You can do that with 1 click here: https://ko-fi.com/modernparenting2022 Thanks in advance!