The wisdom of seasonal eating

Seasonal Eating

One food movement getting a lot of attention recently is seasonal eating. Eating seasonally just means eating produce during the season it’s harvested. For example, during winter months it means focusing your meals around apples, citrus, winter squash, and root vegetables.

Eating seasonally gives us the opportunity to support a sustainable, local food system that benefits our health while contributing to our local economy.

Modern Food Systems

Before industrialized agriculture and big grocery stores, eating seasonally was the norm. Your only choice was to grow your own vegetables and eat the crops when they were ready to be harvested. Now you can get almost any fruit and vegetable year-round. But, there are sacrifices to eating that way. And while it’s not realistic to say all industrialized agriculture should go away, it really is better for you to eat seasonally when you’re able. Read on to learn just a few of the advantages of eating a seasonal diet, year round.

The wisdom of seasonal eating

Higher nutrients

The fresher the produce the more nutrients you’ll get from your food. Seasonal produce contains the highest amount of nutrients because it’s fresh and recently harvested.

Better flavor

Seasonal produce is more enjoyable because fresher simply tastes better. Shipping produce takes time, and as produce ages the flavor diminishes.

The wisdom of seasonal eating

More affordable

Being in season means there’s an abundance of crops, resulting in cheaper prices. Buying produce in season from local farmers and farmers markets is more economical because there’s little or no cost to transport.

Boosts local economy

Buying seasonal produce through local farmers and farmers markets also puts money into the local economy and creates more jobs. Studies show that patronizing local businesses has a greater impact than shopping at big box stores, with more of that money staying in our communities.

Offers variety

With our busy lifestyles, our menus can get stagnant. We stick to the same foods for convenience and familiarity. Eating seasonally allows you to be creative with your meal choices and add variety. Focusing on foods that are in season gives you the opportunity to try foods you may have never heard of before. You can get creative and add some variety to your meals.

The wisdom of seasonal eating

Focus on seasonal food

Not only will eating seasonally be better for your health, taste better and be more affordable, it can also be fun and interesting. To learn what produce is in season, visit USDA/seasonal produce for their produce guide.

This post is presented as informational entertainment and not meant to diagnose or treat any illness or disease. Always consult your medical professional before adding new regimens or anything new to your diet.

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