Fall Produce to Enjoy

Front porches are beginning to be adorned with colorful pumpkins and gourds, which makes me stop to think about the array of fall produce to enjoy this time of year. In the fruit category, consider apples, pears and cranberries. Did you also think about fall squashes? The commonly found squashes include butternut, acorn, Hubbard and pumpkin.

How can bariatric patients enjoy these foods? Very carefully! Most of these foods are rich in natural sugars and complex carbohydrates. Combine them with a protein source and you’ve got a healthy snack to enjoy. Try half of an apple (peeled and sliced) topped with 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter. Use a fourth of a cup pear chunks mixed with a third cup low fat or fat free cottage cheese.

Keep in mind fresh produce comes back to your eating 4 months after surgery. Search for “sugar free cranberry sauce recipes” on the Internet and you’ll get millions of hits for recipes. A few ounces of roasted turkey breast topped with a teaspoon or two of a sugar free cranberry sauce would make a great way to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner if you are 2 months or more out of surgery.

The fall squashes (butternut, acorn, Hubbard, pumpkin) are good sources of vitamin C, fiber and beta-carotene. Cut the squashes in half vertically (stem to blossom end), scrape out the seeds, place cut side down on a foil lined baking pan and roast at 350-400 degrees F in a pre-heated oven for 45-60 minutes until tender. Let these cool enough for you to cut into chunks or scoop out to puree to serve as a side dish. The chunks or puree can be served as a side dish. You can use the puree to make a soup by starting with 2 tablespoons of the puree thinned with 3 to 4 ounces chicken broth and stirring in 5 to 7 grams worth of an unflavored protein powder.

Too busy to cook from scratch? Try the canned puréed pumpkin as a soup base or just stir the protein powder into canned butternut squash soup found among the gourmet soups in the grocery store. May your eating this fall be carefully planned and bountiful.