We are privileged to live in a day and age where a majority of fruits and vegetables are available throughout the year. You can have pumpkin pie in January, mangoes in October and the list goes on. This is thanks to a variety of factors including wide-spread intercontinental trading and modernized agricultural methods.
Unfortunately, the seemingly perennial nature of the produce we enjoy may not be the best for us, however convenient it sounds. For this reason, seasonal diets are becoming more and more popular today. Don’t get us wrong, it’s not bad for you to consume whatever fruits and vegetables you prefer all year long. Afterall, whole foods outweigh processed food any day. There are, however, many benefits to eating with the seasons.
What exactly does it mean to ‘eat with the season’ and how does one do it?
In nature, fruits and vegetables are ripe for picking during different seasons. Eating with the season means adopting a lifestyle where you structure your meal plans around ingredients that are in season. It’s as simple as enjoying produce when it’s at its peak, filled with nutrients and quite tasty.
It all starts with a little research to determine what produce is ripe during specific seasons in your particular area. And, once you know, you are ready to start meal planning and cooking with the finest ripest ingredients the season has to offer.
But, why should you go through all the trouble? Here are seven perks of eating with the season.
-
Lower price. Produce is often less expensive when it’s in season. You don’t incur hidden charges like importation fees and the cost of producing an off season product through GMO and greenhouse agriculture.
-
Truly fresh. If you want the real farm-to-table experience when eating, seasonally is the best way to go. You have access to the ripest and freshest produce on the market. This will definitely save you a whole lot of time in your grocery store as you don’t have to keep picking up and putting down this fruit and that vegetable trying to find the perfect one.
-
Fewer if any post-harvest treatments. In order to make off-season produce last longer, some agricultural companies subject the fruits and vegetables to post-harvest treatments. This could be anything from chemical exposure to prevent rotting or speed up ripening to energy-base treatments like heat to speed up ripening.
It goes without saying that when you decide to live a healthy lifestyle, the last thing you want is chemicals and any other alterations compromising your organic options. In order to avoid these and their potential side effects, you are truly better off working with in-season produce.
-
Better taste. There is just something about peaches in August or pumpkin in October. When a fruit or vegetable is in season, it is at its ripest and most fresh. You do not have to deal with issues like tartness or fermentation compromising the flavor profile. So if you want the best tasting produce, just make sure to get the item when it is at its harvest peak.
-
Nutrient rich. Fruits and vegetables picked at their prime contain a mature and properly concentrated nutrient profile, when they pack their strongest nutritional punch. Consequently, you get to enjoy the health benefits of the minerals, vitamins and even fibers present in the ripe forms of the produce.
-
They are eco-friendly. If you want to minimize your carbon footprint this is a great way to contribute. Fewer chemicals and energy options are used in production and preservation of in-season options which makes them significantly more eco-friendly.
- Break from monotony. Finally, eating seasonally offers you the benefit of breaking monotony. No matter how much you love apples or avocadoes or kale, eating them throughout the year can get old. Mix up your meal plan and try new produce as the year progresses.
Need a little inspiration to get started? Here is a delightful in-season smoothie recipe you can try today!
Kale Up the Beet Smoothie
Yields two servings
- 1.5 cup milk of choice (dairy or vegan) or water
- 1 cup plain yogurt (dairy or vegan)
- 2 beets peeled and chopped
- 1 cup fresh spinach (or a large handful)
- 1 cup frozen strawberries
- 1 peeled and cored apple
- 1/2 lime squeezed
- 2 servings organic Wild Microalgae™
Have you ever heard of organic Wild Microalgae? It’s a rare type of blue-green algae that contains a very special nutrient profile. In fact, it’s a near-perfect food that contains 20 standard amino acids, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, phenylethylamine (PEA), and antioxidant pigments phycocyanin and chlorophyll. This nutrient powerhouse also comes in Essentials. All in all, it’s a fantastic daily dose of the nutrients your body requires to function at its best.
Nurturing your body with seasonal produce, it’s what we call living the #NewEarthLife.