Esther Blum, Integrative Dietitian and Lifestyle Coach shares some tasty tips to build our kids’ immune system using seasonal veggies.
Winter squash is in season and there are so many varieties to choose from including butternut, acorn, spaghetti and pumpkin. Other fiber-rich fall favorites include turnips, parsnips, carrots and sweet potatoes. You can roast them with butter and salt, blend them into creamy soups, or pair spaghetti squash with meatballs for a hearty meal.
Add some crunch with Brussels sprouts! Peel the leaves on a baking sheet and drizzle them with olive oil and pumpkin seeds; bake at 400 F for 15 minutes until lightly crispy.
Stock up on heirloom tomatoes. Believe it or not, heirloom tomatoes are in season through September. They not only taste great in tomato sauces and gazpacho, but try packing them like candy into lunch boxes—no dressing required!
To help ensure your kids are getting enough daily fiber, use this fast fiber fix: Add a scoop of gluten-free, Non-GMO Project Verified and organic certified Regular Girl into a smoothie, juice or yogurt, and you’ll be rocking and rolling! Unlike some fiber supplements that turn into gloppy messes when mixed with liquid, Regular Girl blends invisibly into foods without changing their taste, aroma or texture. And because it is a blend of prebiotic fiber and probiotics, it feeds the healthy bacteria in the gut to help support a healthy digestive system throughout the winter months.
About the author: Esther Blum, MS, RD, CDN, CNS, is an Integrative Dietitian and bestselling author of Cavewomen Don’t Get Fat; Eat, Drink and Be Gorgeous; Secrets of Gorgeous; and The Eat, Drink, and Be Gorgeous Project. She currently maintains a busy private practice in Connecticut where she prescribes whole food diet therapy and supplement protocols to heal and reverse chronic illness.
