Welcoming Fall With Food: Reconnecting with the Seasons
Following the natural rhythms of the season doesn’t have to mean homesteading or giving up your favorite foods. It might look like grabbing apples from a local orchard instead of a plastic-wrapped tray,
There’s something undeniably magical about the shift from summer to fall. The air cools, the light softens, and suddenly, the food we crave begins to change. Out go the crisp cucumbers and juicy tomatoes, and in come roasted roots, simmering soups, and spiced everything.
But, for many of us, these changes are more nostalgic than natural. We rely on grocery store aisles stocked year-round with strawberries and squash alike, so the true rhythm of seasonal eating can easily slip through the cracks.
As a culture, we’ve drifted from the natural cues that once shaped our plates. Before the days of international supply chains and refrigerated trucks, chefs and home cooks alike were guided by what was growing around them. And while convenience has brought some benefits, it has also made it easy to lose touch with the way nature whispers to us through food.
But, the seasons still speak—we just have to remember how to listen.
Welcoming fall with food is about more than just embracing pumpkin spice. It’s a chance to slow down, lean into comfort, and nourish ourselves with what the earth is offering right now. Sweet potatoes, butternut squash, apples, Brussels sprouts, hearty greens, and warming spices are all making their return. These ingredients aren’t just delicious; they offer the nutrients our bodies naturally crave as the weather cools.
Following the natural rhythms of the season doesn’t have to mean homesteading or giving up your favorite foods. It might look like grabbing apples from a local orchard instead of a plastic-wrapped tray, trying a new soup recipe packed with autumn vegetables, or swapping out your summer salads for roasted roots tossed with kale and a cozy vinaigrette.
The beauty of seasonal eating is that it invites us to be more mindful, not just of what we eat, but how we live. It’s an invitation to reflect, to get curious, to cozy up and lean into change. As we step into fall, let your meals be a mirror to the season. Let them be warm, grounding, and full of flavor.
And if you're looking for a place to start, scroll through the Plant Based Ginger recipe archive or join our Facebook group, The Plant-Based Kitchen Collective. We've got soups, spreads, bakes, and bowls to help you eat with the season, one cozy bite at a time.
Sarah, aka: The Plant Based Ginger, has been in the plant-based community for 20+ years and has worked in natural skincare as well as the health and wellness sector. Over the years her love of holistic wellness, essential oils, and plant-based cooking has merged to create the PBG website and social brand. She is a Certified Natural Health Practitioner, Homecook, and Coffee Lover.