Use this guide to make the healthiest, tastiest meals of the season.

Overwhelmed at the farmers' market? We asked Stephanie Middleberg, RD, to help us navigate the latest crop of in-season produce. Her picks:

• Pumpkin: Smashing! Pumpkin seeds, aka pepitas, keep the immune system strong. They have fewer calories and more fiber than nuts, so snack on them or add to yogurt, oatmeal, salad, quinoa, soups and smoothies.  
• Grapes: The highest concentration of reservatrol--the antioxidant that gives wine its super healthy status--is in grape skins. Freeze for a sweet treat or make roasted grape and mascarpone cheese pie here.
• Beets: They get their color from betalain, an antioxidant that may prevent cancer and other diseases. A beneficial combo of potassium and fiber keeps your digestion regular.
• Fennel: This antioxidant-packed herb tastes like licorice and has long been used to soothe tummy troubles and fight bloating. Make Middleberg's recipe for steamed fish and roasted fennel here.
• Pears: Check the neck! Unlike apples, pears ripen once harvested, not on the tree. The best way to test for ripeness is to apply gentle pressure to neck of the pear with your thumb. If it yields to the touch, it's ripe.
• Sweet Potatoes: One sweet potato contains 380% of your RDA of vitamin A and 35% of vitamin C. Leave the skin on--that's where the fiber and nutrients are. Make this recipe for sweet potato gratin. 

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