When you hear the advice to “eat more fruit,” likely you, like most people, think about reaching for a banana out of the bowl or a slice of watermelon at a picnic. And that’s fine, but thinking about new ways to enjoy fruit makes it easier to meet your goals for more produce every day, since fruit can be built right into meals and recipes as well as savored on their own.
Fall fruits like apples, pears, and end-of-season peaches make super versatile ingredients in sweet and savory dishes alike. Read on for some of my favorite ways to use fall fruits in meals and snacks.
PEAR RECIPES
Pears are underrated. When perfectly ripe, nothing beats a juicy, sweet pear. Pears can be grilled, poached, dried, pureed into a smoothie, or used in creative recipes like these.
Pear & Walnut Flatbread with Gorgonzola, Arugula and Balsamic Glaze: I love this one because it’s so fancy, like something you might find at a high-end pub, but not difficult to make. To boost nutrition quality even more, use whole grain flatbread, whole wheat pizza dough (available at most grocery stores), whole grain naan bread (available at large grocery stores or Indian grocery stores) or whole grain pita (available at large grocery stores or Middle Eastern grocery stores). Love flatbread as much as I do? Here are more ideas for you. If you’re on a budget, this one is a winner -- you can leave off the cheese or substitute feta or goat cheese, use any kind of nut you like, and substitute spinach for arugula. If you’re following a vegan plan, you can use lightly seasoned crumbled tofu (pan fry it a bit first).
Wild Rice, Pear and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad: The perfect fall dish, and many of the ingredients can be prepared in advance to make it come together fast. You can leave out the walnuts if you like, or substitute sunflower seeds, which are still nutritious and tasty but less pricey.
Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Pear and Avocado: This is what I call Plant Power -- a super nutritious blend of leafy greens, beans (chickpeas), whole grains (quinoa), healthy fats (avocado and olive oil) and fruit (of course, pears). I tried this with just baby spinach because I didn’t have all those lettuces, and it was delicious. Use about 6 cups of whatever greens you like.You can also sub out a different kind of grain (barley is fantastic) or a different bean (small white beans would work well here).
For more pear recipes, visit USA Pears!
APPLE RECIPES
Just for fun I googled “apple recipes” and guess what -- there are 1.4 BILLION results! That’s a lot of apples! The second most consumed fruit in the world (bananas are #1), apples are grown in every continent except Antarctica, and are available in over 7,000 varieties! While apple pie will never be out of vogue, it’s fun to try something new with fall’s favorite fruit.
Curried Butternut, Red Lentil, and Apple Soup: I’ve made this recipe several times, with variations to make it unique each time. It is always delicious! Red lentils cook up super fast and get soft (they lose their shape) and turn yellow-orange. Try it with chopped up, steamed baby kale and/or leftover cooked carrots. This is a particularly budget-friendly, hearty soup with just the right blend of savory and sweet.
Apple Nachos: This one is downright fun, and a big hit with kids! It’s a versatile idea; you can use whatever healthy toppings you have on hand. Clearly, it’s a dessert or snack, but is high in fiber and low in (or free of) added sugars. I like the easy to follow instructions and variations in this recipe.
Best-Ever Healthy Apple Crisp: If you’re going to make a baked apple dessert, make it this one -- it’s a much healthier version than traditional apple crisp but still decadent, with just a little maple syrup for the perfect level of sweetness, whole grain rolled oats for the hearty crunch, and almond flour for flavor that just POPS. Reduce the saturated fat content by replacing the coconut oil or butter with melted Earth Balance or very light extra-virgin olive oil.
Vegan Waldorf Salad with Apples and Raisins: This is a lighter, healthier version of the traditional mayo-laded salad you may be familiar with. This cashew dressing is fabulous and worth the effort, but if you’re short on time you can just use plain Greek yogurt (dairy or vegan) with a little lemon juice and a touch of sweetener of your choice.
PEACH RECIPES
Peaches are still widely available and ripe in early fall. And they cook up beautifully.
Grilled Peaches: These couldn’t be easier -- give these a try before closing up the backyard grill for the winter.
Fresh Peach Salsa: This colorful, fresh salsa is absolutely delicious and goes on and with pretty much anything. I use this in place of salad dressing for baby spinach salad or stuffed into an avocado half.
Grilled Salmon with Peaches: If you eat fish, here’s a healthy way to enjoy omega-3 rich salmon. If you don’t or if you’re looking for an alternative, this recipe works well with tofu fillets.
Hopefully you’ve been inspired to turn fresh fall fruits into something healthful, decadent, and delicious!
