Fall is an ideal time for healthy comfort foods. As the leaves change color, the weather cools, and you start to spend more time indoors, you may be craving autumn classics like pumpkin, apples, and sweet potatoes
These foods can be easily incorporated into stews, soups, oatmeal, and roasted veggie dishes to not only make your fall meals taste delicious, but also boost your gut health. That’s because these foods are rich in dietary fiber. Prioritizing fiber helps support a healthy gut microbiome, the community of microbes in the gut that play important roles in numerous bodily functions.
“Fiber is one of the most important nutrients for gut health because it feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut,” says the registered dietitian Caroline Thomason Bunn, RD, CDCES, a diabetes educator and the founder of a group nutrition practice in the greater Washington, DC, area. “When these bacteria ferment certain types of fiber, they produce short-chain fatty acids that help support the gut lining, reduce inflammation, and promote a healthy microbiome.”
So, if you’re looking to support a happy, healthy gut this fall, consider adding these foods to your diet
1
Apples
Apple picking — and baking with this popular fruit — are classic fall activities. Along with being crisp and delicious, apples provide plenty of dietary fiber, as well as other nutrients like vitamin C and potassium
A medium raw apple without the skin provides roughly 2.09 grams (g) of fiber. But leaving the skin on almost doubles the amount of fiber, totaling 4.37 g of fiber per medium apple.
“Apples supply fiber along with sorbitol, a sugar alcohol that doesn’t break down in the digestive tract and may help facilitate regular bowel movements,” says Beth Rosen, RD, a registered dietitian at Oshi Health and a board-certified specialist in digestive health
Consider slicing apples into a warm bowl of oatmeal with vanilla and cinnamon. Enjoy them in a freshly tossed fall salad of arugula, roasted sweet potatoes, and pecans. Or, roast them with cinnamon and nutmeg for a simple yet divine fall dessert. Thomason Bunn recommends leaving an apple’s skin on to obtain the most fiber
2
Sweet Potatoes
A 100 g serving of sweet potatoes provides about 4.44 g of dietary fiber. Sweet potatoes are also an excellent source of vitamin A, which has anti-inflammatory properties and supports a healthy gut barrier. The gut barrier helps the body absorb important nutrients from food while keeping harmful substances out.
Try baking sweet potato wedges with cinnamon, roasting whole sweet potatoes and stuffing them with black beans and salsa, or whipping them into a casserole topped with baked oats. Or, you can mash sweet potatoes to create a simple, fiber-packed side dish
“If you want a more robust texture, leave the skins on before mashing to boost the fiber content,” says Destini Moody, RD, a registered dietitian at Top Nutrition Coaching. “The insoluble fiber promotes overall digestive health and prevents constipation.”
3
Lentils
There’s something comforting about a warm, savory bowl of vegetable lentil soup in the fall. Just one cup of raw lentils provides an impressive 20.5 g of dietary fiber.
“Lentils are packed with soluble fiber, which forms a gel-like substance in the gut that helps to form stool and feeds beneficial bacteria through fermentation,” Rosen says. “This fermentation process produces short-chain fatty acids, which help nourish the cells lining your colon and support a healthy gut lining.”
Incorporate lentils into your next batch of stew, soup, or chili, or take your autumn grain bowl to the next level with lentils, roasted butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and toasted pecans
4
Pumpkin
Pumpkin is one of the most iconic fall flavors to enhance your fall recipes. One cup of canned pumpkin without added salt contains about 7.1 g of fiber.
What’s more, research suggests the bioactive compounds in pumpkin — including carotenoids and pectin — could have prebiotic effects. Prebiotics essentially serve as fuel for healthy gut bacteria. Eating foods rich in prebiotics can support a healthy gut microbiome.
Thomason Bunn recommends stirring canned pumpkin into your yogurt, smoothies, oatmeal, soups, or whole-grain pancake batter for a delightful upgrade. Just be sure to choose 100 percent pumpkin puree over sweetened pumpkin pie filling when preparing your recipes
5
Brussels Sprouts
A 100 g serving of raw Brussels sprouts provides roughly 4.8 g of dietary fiber. Research suggests that the plant compounds naturally found in cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts could help foster a healthy gut microbiome.
Roasted Brussels sprouts make for a nutrient-dense side dish to many fall meals. “Roasting [Brussels sprouts] until caramelized brings out their natural sweetness,” Thomason Bunn says. “Pair them with olive oil, balsamic glaze, toasted nuts, or Parmesan for extra flavor.”
They also pair well with salmon or chicken with balsamic and pomegranate seeds. This combination is not only healthy, but adds seasonal color to any table when entertaining
6
Persimmons
Persimmons are a quintessential fall fruit that pairs well with many meals. One persimmon offers roughly 6.05 g of fiber.
“Persimmons are like a treasure to be lucky enough to [stumble] upon in the fall due to their short peak season of October to December,” Moody says. “The fruit contains a high amount of antioxidants, which help reduce inflammation in the gut and support overall health.”
Enjoy persimmons sliced up in an autumn salad of spinach leaves, pomegranate seeds, pecans, and goat cheese, or simply as a fiber-packed snack between meals
