Tasty Fall Foods That Boost Your Immune System

The best part about fall is the food, let’s be real. Or is it the hot beverages and warm sweaters?

BOTH. I'm going with both.

Put on your warm sweater and get ready to make some delicious, immune-boosting foods that nourish your body and make you feel all fuzzy inside. I’m about to cover a few seasonal fall foods that support your immune system and get your mind + body ready for sweater-weather.

HOT BEVERAGES (could I be any more serious about this one?!)

Hot drinks are Herbal tea, matcha, or a good plant-based PSL are all nourishing to the immune system. Say what - Pumpkin spiced lattes are good for the immune system?! Turns out that the spices that makeup’ pumpkin spice’ - cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice - are all great for supporting your immune system and combating inflammation!

Herbal tea comes in all different shapes and sizes, so at first, it may seem like you need to find one that specifically says it helps boost your immune system. But when it comes to herbal tea, you’d be hard-pressed to find one that doesn’t support the immune system and promote healthy circulation and elimination. Herbs tend to pack a lot of skills under their belt, so don’t be afraid to drink all different kinds of herbal teas this fall and winter. You’ll be supporting your immune system and warming up your body in the most enjoyable way possible - with a warm mug in your hands.

PUMPKIN Ain’t Basic

These big beautiful orange squashes aren’t just for pies and jack o' lanterns! Turns out they’re loaded with potassium, vitamins A and C, and beta carotene, which makes them great for the heart, muscles, skin, eyes, kidneys, as well as the immune system. And the amount of things you can do with pumpkin is kind of ridiculous. The other night I turned an organic white pumpkin into a thick country gravy and smothered a batch of flaky vegan biscuits with it. Southern biscuits and gravy, anyone?

You can also cook up a pumpkin in a steamer or your Instant Pot use it in a homemade curry or stir-fry that will warm you up as the fall weather starts to bring in cooler days. Have a pup? Pumpkin is the perfect ingredient for doggie snacks! Biscuits, cookies, muffins, or puppy-friendly pumpkin spiced lattes are all recipes you should be making for the most important friend in your life (let’s be real.)

BUTTERNUT SQUASHIN’ the Health Game

I don’t know about you but I’ve always been a little bit intimidated by the butternut squash…

Ominously large and difficult to cut, I’ve never been very sure of what to do with one. But there’s actually a lot more than meets the eye when it comes to squash of the butternut variety. They can be cubed and cooked into curries, stir-fries, or veggie roasts. They can be pureed and turned into pasta sauce, gravy, or even made into a pizza dough.

Intimidating as they may be, they are worth giving a try. They are loaded vitamin C, an antioxidant (aka free-radical fighter) and immune system supporter. Vitamin C has also been clinically shown to help slow the aging process of the body and skin and reduce the risk of some cancers.

POMEGRANATES Are Back

Pomegranates are maybe the most fun ones on this list. Full of tangy + sweet flavor, pomegranates are abundant with antioxidants. They are loaded with over 100 different phytochemicals that naturally help reduce the risk of cancer, fight inflammation, and support the immune system. Research has linked pomegranate juice to artery health as well.

The best part about pomegranates is that they can be added to nearly anything. Sweet, savory, it doesn’t matter. Pomegranate tastes great on it all. Top a slice of real sourdough toast with almond butter and sprinkle it with hemp hearts and pomegranate seeds and you’ve got a toast worth Instagramming on your hands. Whether you put it on the ‘gram or just put it in your belly, you won’t regret splurging on the pomegranates this season. They’re great for your health and even better for your tastebuds.

MUSHROOMS FTW!

Mushrooms may look like they’re nutrient-less, but they are actually jam-packed with the goods: fiber, B vitamins, beta-glucans, choline, copper, selenium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, as well as immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, and anti-cancer properties.

Mushrooms are also some of the most versatile foods to incorporate into your everyday diet. They can be easily sautéed with onion and/or garlic and added to any dish or simply eaten as a side dish. They can be marinated like meat and used as a plant-based meat alternative for any meal. My favorite way to use mushrooms is to toss them in a steak marinade and air-fry or sauté them and add them to my dishes for umami, meaty flavor + texture that cannot be beaten.

SWEET POTATOES the Candy of the Root Veg

Sweet potatoes are the perfect fall comfort food - warm, creamy, naturally sweet and full of flavor. Like many of autumn’s orange foods, sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene. This makes them great for the skin, the eyes, and the immune system, as well as helping fight off damage from free radicals. The key is, you can’t discard the skins of the potato, as this is the most nutrient-dense part.

Sweet potatoes are more commonly eaten year ‘round and therefore are less intimidating when it comes to how to use them. They can be made into baked sweet potato fries, or roasted and eaten with plant-based butter aside of a warm bowl of soup or next to a bed of roasted vegetables. They are incredible in curries or baked into desserts and bread. Really, the possibilities are almost endless when it comes to sweet potatoes. Roast ‘em up and keep ‘em in the fridge for incorporating into your meals all week. Meal prep game = 10/10.

Whether you’re sautéing mushrooms, steeping herbal tea, or sprinkling pomegranate seeds on everything, find what feels really good for you this fall season and go with it. This is the time of year to listen to what comforts you and lean into it.

Kirsten Ahlmark

Look, Kirsten is a pretty cool person. But don’t take it from us, read this short description of her and decide for yourself.

Kirsten is all about chasing your dreams, laughing ‘til it hurts, and being yourself, even when you’re not sure exactly who that is. She’s been about that ~natural life~ for several years now and loves geeking out on ingredient lists. When she’s not writing copy, you can catch this girl making YouTube videos, howling with her (really cool) chihuahua, or whipping up somethin’ in the kitchen.