Fall is finally here! Is anyone else as excited as I am about cooler weather on the way? Possibly even more exciting than dropping temperatures is the Fall menu at Intelligent Gourmet, so if you haven’t stopped by to see what our smart and healthy kitchen is cooking up – it’s time!

For those of you making it to the Farmers markets, here are the SuperFoods of September.

Sweet potatoes! Who doesn’t love sweet potato fries? These fiber-packed goodies have vitamin A and beta carotene – one to build your immune system, and the other to help your skin recover from summer sun. Whether you air-bake wedges in the oven, BBQ slices on the grill, or mash with maple syrup and cinnamon, sweet potatoes are a healthy Fall treat. (And yes, eating root vegetables in season does improve their flavor!)

Beets, another colorful sweet treat, come into season in the Fall even though they’re available year-round. High in antioxidants, calcium and potassium, these root veggies are also anti-inflammatory. Just don’t be alarmed if certain bodily fluids turn an alarming shade – it’s not you, it’s the beets. I love cold beets with goat cheese and walnuts on top of a bed of spinach, drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar.

Grapes burst with sweetness in Autumn, and the skins contain resveratrol which protects the heart and circulatory system, lowers cholesterol, protects against blood clots and has anti-aging benefits. In Italy, it’s not uncommon to pick wine grapes off the vine and eat them seeds and all.

What are your favorite Fall must-haves?