ABCs of healthy fall food

Autumn offers a cornucopia of cancer fighting foods, and many of them will end up on the dinner table this season.

Stacy Kennedy, MPH, RD, CSO, LDN, a senior nutritionist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, said many fruits and vegetables are at their nutritional peak in the fall, so it’s a great time to incorporate them into a healthy diet.

The key is to know what to look for. Ms. Kennedy shares the ABCs of fall foods along with some nutritious and easy to prepare recipes.

“A” is for apple

There may be something to the old adage, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Studies suggest eating at least one apple a day can help prevent throat, mouth, colon, lung and possibly breast cancer. Besides being crisp, sweet and juicy, apples contain quercitin, a nutrient that protects the cell’s DNA from getting damage that could lead to the development of cancer.

“The key is to eat them raw and with the skin on,” said Ms. Kennedy. “That’s where many of the nutrients are found.”

However, she suggests skipping traditional apple pie, which is loaded with sugar and fat.

“B” is for berries

Cranberries, that is.

Ms. Kennedy encourages her patients at Dana-Farber to eat cranberries all year round. Cranberries contain benzoic acid, which has been shown to inhibit the growth of lung cancer, colon cancer and some forms of leukemia.

She recommends buying bags of fresh cranberries now, while they are in season and at their nutritional peak, and popping them in the freezer for later use. This will help ensure that the berries will provide the highest level of cancer protection whenever they’re used.

“C” is for color

Just like the leaves on the trees, fall is a time for colorful vegetables like beets, carrots and parsnips. They add a burst of color and taste.

“The brighter and richer the pigment, the higher the level of cancer-fighting nutrients,” said Ms. Kennedy.

Load dinner plates with as much colorful plant-based foods as you can.

“D” is for dark, leafy vegetables

“Kale is a top choice because it’s rich in phytonutrients called indoles, which stimulate liver detoxification and help fight cancer,” said Ms. Kennedy.

Other members of the cruciferous family include broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts.

Ms. Kennedy points out people who have diets rich in these vegetables have been found to have lower incidences of lung, prostate and stomach cancer.

“E” is for everything orange

Pumpkins, squash, carrots and sweet potatoes are all packed with a cancer-fighting nutrient called carotenoid. Ms. Kennedy said carotenoids have been linked to the prevention of colon, prostate, breast and lung cancer.

She stressed pumpkin isn’t just for pies. She suggested eating it year-round by adding it to soup, smoothies, pancake batter and even ravioli.

Ms. Kennedy said no matter what season, the overall key to finding cancer-fighting foods is to look for a lot of color.

“Eating a plant-based diet is the best way to help lower your risk of cancer all year long,” she said.

Posted by Kameron Z. Spaulding on November 20, 2012. Filed under Food. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry