EATING FOR AUTUMN

By Hayley Dawson, Naturopath 

The mornings are getting colder, the leaves are falling from our trees and Autumn is in full swing! As a naturopath and nutritionist, I like to educate my community as much as possible about the importance of seasonally eating.

Like with the clothes we interchange seasonally, we should also make seasonal choices for our diet. Being aware of what foods are in season means being aware of what time of year it is, making us recognise the in-season foods that are more readily available to us. Seasonal produce is often fresher and has a greater flavour and nutritional value then non-seasonal produce. Eating seasonal foods is also often cheaper given it’s more readily available and uses less human intervention.  Eating seasonally generally makes lower impact on the environment, given the reduced transport and servicing associated with the abundance of produce in season. So, you can boost the nutrition of your meals, save money and help the environment all at the same time - it’s a no brainer!

Autumn calls for delicious stone fruits, apples, pears - all perfect for enjoying on their own or in a fresh salad or warm dessert. In Autumn we start to see more warm, heartier meals with lots of reds and orange vegetables in season.

Beetroots are something you often see flourishing in a veggie patch throughout Autumn. Beetroots have effective health benefits such as lowering your blood pressure, boosting your energy, reducing inflammation and they’re rich in nutrients and fibre. My favourite benefit of the humble beetroot is that it helps support liver detoxification. You will often see beetroots pickled and saved for sandwiches or salad. Sometimes if you’re getting creative you might enjoy them roasted and I’d like to share this recipe I’ve created - beef burgers with a little beetroot twist!

Beetroot Beef Burgers

INGREDIENTS

For the burger pattie

½ medium brown onion, finely diced

500 g of beef mince

1 medium raw beetroot, peeled and finely grated

2 garlic cloves, grated or finely diced

1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary

A pinch of salt

A pinch of black pepper

Olive oil for frying

Salad/bun

4 iceberg lettuce cups

1 carrot grated

Sliced tomato

Homemade sugar free tomato relish

METHOD

For the burger:

1. Combine all beef patties ingredients in a large mixing bowl and work through with your hands until well incorporated. Roll and mould into small patties.

2.     Heat 1 teaspoon of ghee or coconut oil in large frying pan until medium hot.

To put together:

1.     Place one pattie into the lettuce cup

2.     Then top the pattie with carrot, sliced tomato and relish or your favourite burger toppings

3.     Wrap the lettuces around and enjoy

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

For more tasty, nutritional recipes and health advice you can contact Hayley through her website