Autumn on your plate: how to make it easy with seasonal fruit and veg
15 October 2026
The days are getting shorter, the first leaves are changing colour, and in the evenings it’s time to serve something warm again. In October, there’s a wide choice of fruit and vegetables that are perfect for this time of year. Think of pumpkin, beetroot, peppers, apples and pears. With these, you can easily give your day an autumnal twist, from breakfast right through to dinner. And it doesn’t have to be complicated at all.
Start the day with an apple and a pear
Apples and pears are perfect for the start of autumn. An apple is easy to eat on its own, but also works well in all sorts of hot and cold dishes. For example, combine apples and pears with yoghurt and granola for a quick breakfast.
A breakfast of yoghurt, pears and pear granola is a good example of this. Simply dice the apples and pears and layer them with yoghurt and granola. You can make the granola in advance, so you’ll be ready in just a few minutes in the morning.
An autumnal lunch with peppers
You can easily incorporate seasonal vegetables into your lunch too. Mushrooms are perfect for autumn and add plenty of flavour to a dish with very little effort. Why not fry them to eat on bread, add them to an omelette or turn them into a hot lunch?
Why not try the omelette with peppers? It’s a lovely option if you fancy something warm for lunch. With peppers, you can easily put a hearty lunch on the table that’s perfectly suited to those first crisp autumn days.
Snacks: keep it simple
Not every meal calls for a recipe. Fruit, in particular, makes it easy to grab a snack between meals. Take an apple or a pear with you to work, school or on the go. You don’t need to prepare anything and you’ve got an extra fruit snack sorted straight away.
Tip: only cut up your fruit just before eating, or sprinkle a little lemon juice over sliced apple to prevent it from turning brown.
Warm up with pumpkin soup
As soon as it gets a bit cooler outside, soup is a lovely way to serve up some vegetables. Pumpkin is a real autumn favourite. And here’s a handy tip: with many types of pumpkin, you don’t even need to remove the skin. It softens as it cooks.
With this pumpkin soup, you can have something warm on the table in 20 to 30 minutes. The pumpkin is combined with ingredients including onion, curry powder, parsley and a dash of soy sauce. Delicious for lunch, but also as a light evening meal.
Got a bit more time? Then the pumpkin soup with sweet potato and pointed pepper makes for a lovely variation.
In the evening: beetroot on the table
Beetroot is delicious in a hot meal and, with its earthy, slightly sweet flavour, is perfect for autumn. What’s more, you can make life easier for yourself by using pre-cooked beetroot. That way, you won’t have to spend ages in the kitchen after a busy day.
Why not try these traditional Dutch beetroot dishes, for example? The combination of beetroot and apple creates a lovely balance between sweet and tangy. A simple, comforting meal that’s perfect for the first cooler evenings of the season.
