October Nutrition Tips

October is a cozy, transitional month-perfect for embracing warm flavors, immune-boosting foods, and seasonal produce. Here's how to nourish yourself as the leaves fall and the air turns crisp:

🎃 Embrace Autumn's Harvest

• Pumpkin & Squash - Rich in beta-carotene, fiber, and potassium. Roast them, puree into soups, or bake into muffins.
• Sweet Potatoes - A powerhouse of vitamin A and complex carbs. Try them mashed, roasted, or in chili.
• Apples & Pears - High in fiber and antioxidants. Great for snacking, baking, or tossing into salads.

🍂 Immune Support for Cooler Days

• Citrus fruits - Oranges, grapefruits, and lemons are loaded with vitamin C.
• Garlic & Onions - Natural antimicrobials that add depth to fall dishes.
• Leafy greens - Kale, spinach, and Swiss chard are still in season and packed with nutrients.

🧣 Smart Seasonal Swaps

• Trade cold smoothies for warm oatmeal topped with nuts and fruit.
• Swap raw salads for roasted veggie bowls with grains and legumes.
• Use cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to add warmth and flavor without extra sugar.

🥘 Cozy Meal Ideas

• Butternut squash soup with ginger and coconut milk
• Apple cinnamon overnight oats
• Stuffed bell peppers with rice, beans, and fall spices
• Hearty lentil stew with carrots and sweet potatoes

🍂 Fighting Food Waste with Fall Produce

Creative Ways to Use Stems, Peels & Scraps

🥕 Root-to-Leaf Cooking

• Carrot tops → Blend into pesto with garlic, nuts, and olive oil.
• Beet greens → Sauté like spinach or add to soups and grain bowls.
• Broccoli stems → Peel and slice for stir-fries or shred into slaw.

🍎 Peel Power

• Apple peels → Simmer with cinnamon for homemade tea or dry into chips.
• Potato skins → Toss with oil and roast for crispy snack strips
• Squash skins → Roast with the flesh-acorn and delicata skins are edible and delicious.

🧅 Scrappy Stock

• Save onion ends, celery leaves, herb stems, and veggie peels in a freezer bag.
• Boil into a rich, homemade vegetable broth-perfect for fall soups and stews.

🥬 Compost or Feed

• If scraps aren't edible, compost them or feed them to chickens (if you've got access). It's a great way to return nutrients to the soil or support local farms.

🍁 Bonus: Fall Produce That's Fully Edible

• Delicata squash - Skin and seeds are edible.
• Radishes - Use both root and greens.
• Pumpkin seeds - Roast with spices for a crunchy snack.

Pumpkin, Sweet Potato And Carrot Soup | Comfort fall food

Equipment

• Blender or hand blender, Pan, Oven

Ingredients

450 g pumpkin/ butternut squash

• 2 medium sweet potatoes around 260 g
• 2 carrots, 1 white onion
• 1 garlic clove, 200 ml vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoon coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon oregano, a pinch of cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon Olive oil, Mixed seeds
• salt and pepper to taste
• Croutons
• 2 slices bread, 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon rosemary,salt, pepper
• **Instructions
  **
• First, chop the onion and garlic. Then heat up a tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan, add garlic and onion and sauté until soft. Now add the spices (allspice, cinnamon) and leave for 1 minute, stirring often. In the meantime, chop the vegetables in small cubes/slices, so they will cook faster. I recommend using a peeler to remove the skin of the pumpkin, instead of a knife, I find it so much easier and safer. When ready, add the pumpkin, sweet potato and carrot to the pan and fry for a few minutes. Then add vegetable stock until the vegetables are submerged, add coconut milk, season to taste with salt pepper and oregano and let cook for 10/15 minutes or until the ingredients are soft (check with a fork). In the meantime prepare the croutons.
  Preheat the oven to 190C. Cut the bread in 1 cm thick cubes. Transfer to a baking tray with baking paper, drizzle with olive oil and rosemary, or your preferred herb. and salt and pepper. Mix well to coat then bake in the oven at 190C for around 5 minutes until crispy! When the vegetables in the pan are soft, transfer to a blender or use a hand mixer to blend until smooth. Pour into bowls, sprinkle with olive oil, mixed seeds and your homemade croutons.
• ½ teaspoon all spice

President/Executive Director

Anna Beavan

abeavan@lindabenfoundation.org

CFO / Newsletter Editor

James B Beavan III

jbeavan@lindabenfoundation.org

Food Rescue / Logistics

Jeanette Mendy

jmendy@lindabenfoundation.org

RX Operations Manager

Ken Coleman

kcoleman@lindabenfoundation.org

Chairman of the Board

Anna Beavan

abeavan@lindabenfoundation.org

Treasurer

James B Beavan III

jbeavan@lindabenfoundation.org

Secretary

Janice Irizarry

jirizarry@lindabenfoundation.org

Vice Chair

Keith Hinds

keith_hinds@lindabenfoundation.org

Vice Chair

Noralynn Talavera

ntalavera@lindabenfoundation.org

Board Member

Ana Cortes

Ana.cortes49440@gmail.com

Registration/Pantry Lead

Mary Payton

Diapers/Pantry Lead

Petal Sampson

Pantry/Distribution Lead

Rookminie Dookhante, Yahzee Carino

Pantry Intern

Brandon Talavera

IT Interns

Neomi Sule, James B Beavan IV

RX Delivery Team

Ken Coleman, Terry Satterfield, Alex Perea

RX Packing Team

Alex Perea, Rosa Crespo, Maria Contreras, Rosa Guanoluis, Iczel Perea, Lissette Martinez

PowerPack Delivery

Nancy Diaz, Arinze Okeke

Food Rescue

Willie Walker, Rayonne Pile, Randel Robinson, Mrs. Way, Amazon

Pantry Help:

Olivia De Jesus, Lisette Martinez, Melvin Herrera, Enrique Caboga, Gabriela Romero, Juan Morales, Robby Reed, Tonya Lockett, Maria Contreras, Ana Chevez, Arturo Ramirez, Bridgette Gilchrist, Carmen Arroyo, Charles Royal, Angelica Jordan

St. Bernards Distribution

Rookminie Dookhante, Yahzee Carino, Olivia De Jesus, Lissette Martinez, Anthony Palmer, Arthur Ejimakor, Eliabeth James, Gay Payton, Heidi Morales, Jose Morales, Carlos, Rosa Guanoluis, Veseel Mejia, Cindy Dookhantee, Ingrid Robles, Lovern Green, Richard Jackson, Sharon Hall, Sheila Tinker, Ana G, Andrea, Angelica Jordan, Florina Kennedy, Irma Mendoza, Kevin Garcia, Luisa Muchaypina, Yaneth Figueroa

Sweet Potato Cauliflower Kale Rice Bowl

Sweet Potato Cauliflower Kale Rice Bowl

Ingredients

• 4-5 larger organic sweet potatoes, cut into smaller cubes
• 1/2 large cauliflower, cut into smaller pieces, Use less sweet potato if you want the whole cut up cauliflower to fit on the two baking sheets.
• 1 red onion, cut into thin slices
• 1 yellow onion, cut into thin slices
• 1-2 TBSP coconut oil, avocado oil, or olive oil to coat, I use coconut oil for the sweetness
• 3 cups chopped organic kale
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup cooked brown rice or other rice of your choice
• Garlic powder, to taste
• Onion powder, to taste
• Salt and ground pepper, to taste
• optional, can of BPA-Free chickpeas to make it even heartier

Method

Preheat the oven to 400 and line two baking sheets with baking paper.

Cut up the sweet potatoes (I leave the skins on organic potatoes), cauliflower, and the red and yellow onion. Add it all to a large mixing bowl.

Sprinkle in some garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper to taste. I just do a light shake of each over the whole bowl.

Add in your oil and mix everything well with your hands.

Divide the mixture onto the two baking sheets and flatten everything in a single layer. Add another light sprinkle of garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper for good measure. (Unless you were already heavy handed adding it to the bowl.)

Bake in the oven for 40 minutes and then flip the baking sheets around (top to bottom and vice versa). Cook another 10 minutes or so. If your oven runs on the hot side, check them at minute 30.

When your veggies go in the oven right away, cook your rice according to the package.

When everything is ready, carefully add your cooked veggies to the large mixing bowl. Use the baking paper to lift them up and pour in the bowl.

Add in 1 cup of cooked rice. If you want it more rice forward, add in more rice if you have it.

Add in the kale and dried cranberries. Mix really well so that the kale wilts in from the heat of the veggies. Serve and Enjoy! You can always add in more kale to make it more salad like, and/or optional chickpeas to make it even heartier (=more meals out of it).

🎒 Back-to-School Fuel: Smart Lunchbox Tips

🥪 Build a Balanced Box

Use the "3-2-1" formula:

• 3: Fruits & veggies (baby carrots, apple slices, grapes)
• 2: Protein & grains (turkey roll-ups, hummus + pita, hard-boiled eggs)
• 1: Fun snack (see below!)

🧊 Keep It Fresh

• Freeze yogurt tubes or juice boxes overnight-they double as ice packs.
• Use bento-style containers to separate wet/dry items and avoid soggy surprises.

🧃 Hydration Matters

• Skip sugary drinks. Pack a reusable bottle with water or diluted juice.
• Add lemon or cucumber slices for a refreshing twist.

🤑 Trendy Snack Foods That Won't Break the Bank

Snack

Why It's Great

Approx. Cost

Mini rice cakes

Crunchy, gluten-free, great with nut butter

$2-$3 per bag

Roasted chickpeas

High protein, super crunchy

$1-$2 per pouch

Fruit leather strips

Natural sweetness, no added sugar

$0.50-$1 each

DIY trail mix

Mix cereal, raisins, pretzels, chocolate

~$0.30 per snack

String cheese

Calcium + protein, kid-approved

~$0.25 each

Popcorn (air-popped)

Whole grain, low-cost, customizable

~$0.10 per cup

Applesauce cups

No refrigeration needed, easy to eat

~$0.40 each

Thank you for participating to our Food as Medicine Program through our partner schools. Your participation has brought more than just health to your table-it's brought joy and community spirit. As we aim to grow and refine this initiative, we deeply value your perspectives and experiences.

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