There is no doubt that seasonal eating requires more of you: more
thought, commitment, time, and active participation. But it gives back
more as well: more taste, vitality, heritage, well-being, and
reconnection with source and self. The key to getting back more from
your food is to make the decision to take responsibility for your food
choices and eating habits.
Seasonal Eating Benefits
There are several benefits to eating seasonally. The top benefits include:
Produce is at its peak nutritional value when it is ripe. However when you purchase produce that is not in season in the area where you live it is shipped before it is ripe so that it won't spoil. Since such produce is picked before ripeness, it might gain color and softness on its journey to the supermarket, however it will not be as nutritious. This is because nutritional value comes through the stem from the living plant. Once harvested, a vegetable is as nutritious as its going to get. Nutritional value actually decreases every day past harvest. To make matters even worse, produce shipped long distances re often sprayed with chemicals to control pest infestation, as well as to delay ripening.
Trucking, shipping and flying in food from around the country and the globe also takes a toll on the environment and on public health. Take grapes, for example. Every year, nearly 270 million pounds of grapes arrive in California, most of them shipped from Chile to the Port of Los Angeles. Their 5,900 mile journey in cargo ships and trucks releases 7,000 tons of global warming pollution each year, and enough air pollution to cause dozens of asthma attacks and hundreds of missed school days in California.
The type of produce that is in season depends on where you live. Fruits that are in season in California and Florida for instance in December, would not be in season in the northern states, which would be in the middle of winter. So for your health's sake, buy locally. Eat produce that was intended to be grown in the area where you live, and buy it at its peak of ripeness, rather than produce that was picked unripe and shipped thousands of miles.
Poultry
Poultry tend to be more plentiful in the summer months (June - August).
Eggs
Hens lay more eggs in the spring (March-May).
Nuts
Nuts typically ripen in the fall (e.g., September/October). Nuts can be enjoyed in the fall and winter.
Red Meat
Red meats are more plentiful in the fall and winter when animals fatten themselves for the winter.
Bottom Line Benefits to Eating Seasonally
The way we eat has an enormous impact on the our own health as well as the health of the planet. By choosing to eat lower on the food chain, and focusing on local and organic produce, we can curb global warming and air pollution, avoid toxic pesticides, support local farmers, improve our own health and enjoy fresh, tasty food.
Seasonal Eating Benefits
There are several benefits to eating seasonally. The top benefits include:
- Eating seasonally ensures your food is as fresh as possible. For an added challenge, try to eat most foods only when they are in season, or can/jar seasonal food in order to eat and enjoy it all year round.
- Your family will be able to enjoy the health benefits of eating fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables.
- Food is often of greater nutritive value.
- Reduces potential exposure to chemicals applied to produce prepared for shipping.
- Produce, meats, eggs and nuts eaten while they are plentiful, do not need to be stored.
- Your food dollar is stretched further.
- Environmental damage caused by shipping foods thousands of miles is reduced.
- Buying seasonal produce also provides an exciting opportunity to try new foods and to experiment with seasonal recipes.
- It helps with world sustainability. Although today's global marketplace allows us to buy foods grown virtually anywhere in the world all year round, these options are not the most sustainable. When a process is sustainable, it can be maintained indefinitely. Sustainable food production can be maintained indefinitely because sustainable farmers do not take more resources to produce food than they give back.
- Seasonal food simply tastes better!
Produce is at its peak nutritional value when it is ripe. However when you purchase produce that is not in season in the area where you live it is shipped before it is ripe so that it won't spoil. Since such produce is picked before ripeness, it might gain color and softness on its journey to the supermarket, however it will not be as nutritious. This is because nutritional value comes through the stem from the living plant. Once harvested, a vegetable is as nutritious as its going to get. Nutritional value actually decreases every day past harvest. To make matters even worse, produce shipped long distances re often sprayed with chemicals to control pest infestation, as well as to delay ripening.
Trucking, shipping and flying in food from around the country and the globe also takes a toll on the environment and on public health. Take grapes, for example. Every year, nearly 270 million pounds of grapes arrive in California, most of them shipped from Chile to the Port of Los Angeles. Their 5,900 mile journey in cargo ships and trucks releases 7,000 tons of global warming pollution each year, and enough air pollution to cause dozens of asthma attacks and hundreds of missed school days in California.
The type of produce that is in season depends on where you live. Fruits that are in season in California and Florida for instance in December, would not be in season in the northern states, which would be in the middle of winter. So for your health's sake, buy locally. Eat produce that was intended to be grown in the area where you live, and buy it at its peak of ripeness, rather than produce that was picked unripe and shipped thousands of miles.
Poultry
Poultry tend to be more plentiful in the summer months (June - August).
Eggs
Hens lay more eggs in the spring (March-May).
Nuts
Nuts typically ripen in the fall (e.g., September/October). Nuts can be enjoyed in the fall and winter.
Red Meat
Red meats are more plentiful in the fall and winter when animals fatten themselves for the winter.
Bottom Line Benefits to Eating Seasonally
The way we eat has an enormous impact on the our own health as well as the health of the planet. By choosing to eat lower on the food chain, and focusing on local and organic produce, we can curb global warming and air pollution, avoid toxic pesticides, support local farmers, improve our own health and enjoy fresh, tasty food.
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