Seasonal Foods
With the transition to fall upon us (ok… let’s be honest some us have been drinking PSL’s and burning fall scented candles since September 1st!) I thought this was a great time to dive in to seasonal eating. We always hear eat fresh foods, eat local foods, but what about eating seasonal foods? Well, technically if you are eating local foods you are eating seasonal foods as well. Listed below are a few benefits of eating foods that are in season.
1. You get a variety of nutrients. If you eat the same fruits and vegetables year round you aren’t getting a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. Choosing to eat foods that are in season forces you to mix it up, adding different fruits and vegetables to your diet that contain an array of nutritional benefits.
2. Transported produce loses nutrients. If food is out of season but you find it in your local grocery store that means it had to be transported from somewhere else. When eating food that is local and in season it is picked at its peak, this development allows the food to contain higher levels of antioxidants!
3. Flavor and fragrant. Have you ever been in a strawberry field? In the summer the strawberries are perfectly juicy and they smell amazing! Not quite the same when you pick them up at the grocery store in December.
4. Supporting local farmers. Going to the local farmers market allows you to shop the foods that are in season while supporting your local community! I encourage you to get to know your local farmers at the stands as well, often times it is so expensive to obtain the organic label that famers cannot do so. However, they still grow their produce in a healthy way for consumers.
5. Pesticides. Foods that are transported or grown out of season need pesticides and chemicals to look good by the time they reach the consumer. To avoid consuming these substances, shop organic or get to know your local farmers.
6. Nourishment. There’s nothing like curling up with a warm bowl of soup on a chilly night, and same goes with a fresh smoothie on a hot summer day! Choosing to fill these with fresh in season ingredients is good for the soul! These type of comfort foods nourish our body and our mind.
Let me know what some of your favorite in season foods are right now! If you aren’t sure what’s in season, use this guide to get started!