What To Eat Right Now: Produce In Season September 2025

Welcome, September! It’s a time of transition, full schedules, and for many—the inevitable lunch-packing frenzy (I now have two little ones in school!). Speaking of transition, September marks the shift between summer and fall produce. While most of summer’s fruit is still at peak harvest, it’s not long before beets and Brussels sprouts will replace ripe tomatoes. Naturally, produce peaks at different times, so use this as a general guide. Alas, farmers markets are still bountiful and home gardens are bursting at the seams. Without further ado, let’s dive into produce in season—September edition. Consider this your September 2025 produce guide: a cheat sheet for what’s in season this month.

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Green grapes_produce in season September

Ayurveda and Seasonal Eating: How to Balance Your September Diet

At its core, Ayurveda is an ancient holistic healing system. Ayurveda categorizes the year into three seasons, each associated with a dominant dosha (bio-energy). Autumn is unique, split between two doshas: Pitta governs early autumn, while Vata takes over in late autumn. This dual nature can make fall dietary recommendations seem complex, but the key is to focus on seasonal, local foods. To help you navigate this transitional period (as we move from the Pitta-dominated summer into the Vata-ruled winter), use the following September 2024 produce guide!

Ayurvedic Nutrition Tips for Fall

Ayurveda suggests feasting on fresh, late-summer fruits like apples and pears to “dry out” excess Pitta from the summer. Green or tart apples are best for blood sugar balance, and both fruits provide fiber to clear the gut in preparation for heavier winter foods. Other early fall picks include eggplant, corn, melons, figs, and okra. As the weather cools, transition to steamed or stewed fruits and warming spices like cinnamon and cardamom.

Bowls of grains and avocado_sproduce in season September

Healthy Autumn Meal Plan

With Ayurvedic principles in mind, below is a sample autumn meal plan.

Breakfast

Warm oats, cooked with chia seeds, ground flaxseed, and a scoop of vanilla protein powder; topped with chopped apple, ghee, and cardamom
Spiced latte: warm coffee or black tea with milk of choice, frothed with one teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Lunch

Roasted acorn squash
Protein of choice (hard-boiled eggs, baked tofu, etc.)
Avocado
Warm clove tea (prepare by boiling 4-5 whole cloves in 8 oz water)

SNACK:

Figs and a handful of walnuts
Protein hot chocolate (one scoop of chocolate collagen peptides with warmed milk of choice)

Dinner:

Soup made with bone broth, chopped carrots, onion, celery, rotisserie chicken, high-protein pasta, spinach, canned tomatoes, coconut milk; spice to taste with curry seasoning, sea salt, and black pepper
Toasted sprouted grain bread, spread with ghee
Ginger or chai tea with milk of choice

September 20245Produce Guide

Like August, September is all about end-of-summer fare. Tomatoes, peaches, and corn are still in season. Summer squash and winter squash collide, as strawberries and blueberries make way for apples and pears. In the spirit of eating seasonally, below are the ingredients to focus on in September. And if you’re wondering what you should buy organic, prioritize apples, berries, grapes, and tomatoes.

Apples

It’s time to start stocking up! Apple season is here. I love crisp, chopped apples in salads with goat cheese and apple slices dipped in almond butter. Sautéed apples in coconut oil and cinnamon are the best yogurt or oatmeal topping. When possible, opt for organic apples. Conventionally grown apples are highly sprayed with pesticides (then coated with wax).

Blackberries

Yes, blackberries are still in season. These delicious fruits offer several health benefits, and they capture the essence of summer in their sweetness. They’re packed with vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. Enjoy them on ice cream, yogurt, in smoothies, in salads, or atop cottage cheese. Juicy, sweet blackberries are a snack in themselves, but they’re also lovely on chia pudding and make a simple dessert when served with whipped cream.

Carrots

While they’re a year-round supermarket staple, carrots have two seasons. There’s a late-spring crop as well as a fall crop. Early-season carrots are sown in the winter and very early spring and protected with plastic or fleece covers. They are harvested from June through to August. Green top carrots are sown in the open ground in spring and are harvested from August until the first frosts start to appear. Raw carrots are fantastic for balancing hormones (especially if you’re estrogen-dominant)!

Cranberries

It’s slightly early for fresh cranberries, but in the U.S., cranberries are only harvested in the fall and should be available at your local grocery store from September through January. You can eat them raw, pulse them into a relish, or blend cranberries into a super nutritious smoothie. They also freeze beautifully.

Corn

Here in Colorado, corn is still in full swing. Now’s the time to grill it and enjoy in a salad with chicken, fish, steak, or fresh burrata.

Figs

There are two seasons for domestic fresh figs: the first season is the first few weeks in June, and the second or “new wood” season typically runs from August through October. If you see them at your grocery store, buy them only if you plan to use them quickly. Fresh figs will spoil within 7-10 days of harvesting. In most cases, this means you have a couple of days to enjoy them at home. They’re delicious paired with cheese, on toast, in salads, and in yogurt bowls.

Grapes

Although farmers offer grapes year-round, the peak of the domestic grape season is now: late-summer. Another highly sprayed fruit, opt for organic grapes! We know them as the sweet fruit fermented for wine and dried to become raisins, but are grapes good for you? Absolutely. In addition to their versatility, grapes are rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and nutrients. The skin of red grapes contains resveratrol, which supports heart function. From a nutrition perspective, red and green grapes are very similar. However, red grapes contain larger amounts of antioxidants.

Peaches

Thanks to our generous amount of sunshine in Colorado, we enjoy a long peach season! If you live in Colorado, Palisade peaches are a must. That said, many peach varieties are grown in several regions throughout the U.S.

Pears

Like apples, there are a variety of pears to choose from. Most likely, the recipe you’re making will determine which pear you buy. For example, if you’re making a cheese plate, opt for winter pears (also called Danjour pears or Anjou pears). This variety works best with cheeses that won’t overpower their flavor. That said, there are endless ways to use pears—this salad with walnuts is delicious—as is this pear crisp. If you’re looking for a ripe pear to eat immediately, find a browner or more yellow-colored pear with no green undertones. There should be no soft spots on the pears, and it should be fairly firm.

Peppers

Nothing beats a bell pepper at the peak of the growing season―which runs from July through November―when it’s crisp, juicy, and full of sharp flavor. I’m currently on a grilled pepper kick, but they’re perfect with hummus, baba ghanoush, or tzatziki. Add them to salads or sandwiches. Stuffed peppers are so satisfying, too.

Raspberries

All hail the mighty raspberry. Juicy, perfectly sweet, and a wonderful addition to everything from salads to a bowl of ice cream, raspberries are as versatile as they are nutrient-rich. Choose berries that have a bright red color. Raspberries should always be refrigerated and kept dry until just before serving. Be sure to properly store your raspberries. See here for my producing storing tips!

Summer Squash

As with July, August is the perfect time to savor just-harvested summer squash. Summer squash’s peak season is June through late August. I love adding this versatile ingredient to stir-fries, frittatas, and fish en papillote.

Tomatoes

These juicy, versatile fruits (yes, fruits!) are irresistible in the summer. This is my favorite way to eat heirloom tomatoes, but this caprese salad with avocado is a weekly staple.