31 Foods to Keep Your Eating on Track in October
As we learned last month from all the powerful, beautiful, healthy images posted in our Eat It To Beat It Challenge Group, there aren’t just 30 healthy foods you can eat, there’s a rainbow. So, for anyone who wants to keep doing it right, here are 31 more foods (and a few important anti-inflammatory repeats, like the Alliums) for the month of October. They’ve all got the same things going for them as last month – vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, antioxidants, fiber, and unsaturated fats.
This month, we’re adding a twist to the challenge. Sure, you can eat one a day, as we’ve suggested. But… bonus points for working all of the week’s foods into one meal! We can’t wait to see!
Let’s keep supporting each other, posting those photos, and sharing those recipes.
Week 1:
Oct 1 – Artichoke – in season!
2 – Persimmon – in season!
3 – Radish – can you work the leaves in too?
Week 2:
Oct 4 – Collard greens – kale’s superfood cousin
5 – Black-eyed peas – a fiber powerhouse
6 – Onions – an anti-inflammatory Allium!
7 – Sweet potato – an orange carotenoid-rich superfood
8 – Green banana – a GI superfood
9 – Guava – a vitamin C favorite
10 – Sunflower seeds – polyunsaturated fat and protein
Week 3:
Oct 11 – Beets – packed with micro-nutrients
12 – Raspberries – fiber-packed
13 – Tofu (sorry) – more plant-based protein
14 – Garbanzo beans – high protein and fiber
15 – Sesame seeds – minerals, minerals, minerals
16 – Garlic – another anti-inflammatory Allium!
17 – Olive oil – a sponge for inflammation
Week 4:
Oct 18 – Amaranth – a mineral-rich, gluten-free, ancient grain
19 – Pear – in season!
20 – Fennel – phytonutrients and fiber
21 – Shallot – an anti-inflammatory Allium!
22 – Asparagus – eat as far down the stalk as you can to get extra microbiome-friendly insoluble fiber
23 – Spinach – a free-radical vacuum
24 – Jicama – all the satisfying crunch of fried foods without the saturated fat
Week 5:
Oct 25 – Tomatoes – lycopene!
26 – Butternut squash – try organic, and eat the skin for a boost of insoluble fiber
27 – Purple cabbage – cruciferous crunch
28 – Chia seeds – an intense (and cautionary) source of dietary fiber
29 – Portobello mushroom – selenium!
30 – Cauliflower – broccoli’s phytonutrient cousin
31 – Kombucha – try the green tea version for an additive effect to your microbiome