It's said that one should "bulk up" at the start of autumn. So, should one eat more meat in the autumn?
Actually, "bulking up" should be done scientifically. Eating more foods that are easily neglected in the summer to replenish nutrients that people often lack is more nutritious than just eating meat. Here, we recommend three of the best foods for your table after the start of autumn.
Yellow-green fruits and vegetables
These are orange-yellow fruits and vegetables and green leafy vegetables. In the summer, the vegetables and fruits people eat are mostly melons and beans.
For example, cucumber, winter melon, watermelon, muskmelon, zucchini, and green beans, cowpeas, edamame, etc. Except for watermelon and green beans, carotene content in melons and beans is relatively low.
Therefore, when autumn arrives, the body's vitamin A reserves can easily become depleted. If not replenished in time, it can lead to problems such as decreased dim light vision, dry eyes, and a higher susceptibility to respiratory infections in the winter and spring.
Therefore, it is important to eat more orange-yellow vegetables, such as pumpkin, carrots, and tomatoes. Additionally, the vitamin C content in melons and beans is also very low. A long-term deficiency of vitamin C can lead to a weakened immune system and catching colds easily during seasonal changes.
Thus, it is also necessary to eat more green leafy vegetables to replenish vitamin C, such as kale, spinach, and broccoli.
Fermented foods
In the summer, people often have poor appetites and tend to eat more cold foods, which weakens the digestive function of the gastrointestinal tract.
Therefore, in the autumn, one should appropriately eat more nutrient-rich and easily digestible foods, and fermented foods have this benefit. During fermentation, microorganisms produce a large amount of B vitamins. At the same time, the action of microorganisms eliminates anti-nutritional factors in food, partially breaks down proteins, and allows trace elements and various active substances to be better absorbed and utilized.
For staple foods, you can choose fermented flour products like leavened bread and steamed buns. We particularly recommend mixed grain steamed cakes, as combining coarse and fine grains provides higher nutrition.
For side dishes, you can eat more fermented bean products like fermented black beans, bean paste, tofu cheese, madohu (a type of fermented tofu), and soybean milk. Also, fermented dairy products like yogurt, and rice wine fermented from rice.
Various types of tubers
Autumn is the peak season for tubers. Many tuber foods have the effect of strengthening the body, and they are rich in B vitamins and minerals such as potassium and magnesium. Traditionally, tuber foods are believed to tonify the middle Qi. Modern research also suggests that when eaten as staple foods, they are beneficial for preventing obesity and various chronic diseases.
Regularly eating some yams, sweet potatoes, taro, and potatoes as substitutes for refined white rice and flour is a very good health measure.