What are your favorite fruits and vegetables?
I love cantaloupe, peaches, pineapples, and strawberries. For vegetables, I really love asparagus, collard greens, and spinach. I feel like my meal is not complete if I do not have one of my favorite vegetables paired with my meal.
I just recently started eating butternut squash. I don’t know why I wasn’t eating it before. All of these years, I had been missing out on this delicious vegetable. (Note to self, butternut squash is technically a fruit.)
One of the amazing things about grocery stores is that you can walk in, at any time of the year, and get just about anything.
Blueberries in the middle of winter in a northern climate? No sweat: They’re there.
Spinach fresh in a bag in January? Yep, you can find that, too.
Unfortunately, the price of groceries that are out of season often can make a severe dent in your grocery plans. You’re gaining access to produce at all sorts of times of the year, but that access comes at a cost.
Also, the minerals and vitamins of out-of-season produce are not as strong as they are when you eat them in-season. I’ll explain more below.
One way to work around that budget-busting nonsense is to plan your grocery shopping to be more seasonal. I know it’s really hard to do, especially when you’re really craving a particular fruit or vegetable, but it’s worth the wait.
WHAT IS SEASONAL EATING AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Seasonal eating means to eat fruits and vegetables when those foods are in harvest. For instance, apples and cranberries are a fall fruit. The best place to find foods that are in season is at your local farmers’ market.
Eating produce when it is in-season has many nutritional benefits for your health. In-season foods are more flavorful and tend to have more vitamins and minerals.
FIVE REASONS WHY EATING SEASONALLY IS BETTER FOR YOU
1. Produce is plentiful when it is in-season.
You’re going to find more of your favorite produce in-season than you would in the out-of-season months. Blueberries, for example, are in-season in August. Therefore, you should purchase them during this time frame.
2. It costs less to buy in-season foods!
It also costs less than it would if you bought your food out-of-season. This can help you save money on your grocery budget in a BIG way!
3. In-season produce doesn’t have additives.
In-season produce doesn’t rely on the same waxes, preservatives, and chemicals used to preserve the appearance and flavor of out-of-season produce.
4. Eating seasonally means eating locally.
If you’re a big proponent of supporting local, this is a great reason why you should eat produce when it’s in-season.
5. In-season foods have more nutrional value.
Produce picked and enjoyed at its peak typically has more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than items picked before they’re ripe.
Eating produce when it’s in-season is worth the wait.
And if you just can’t wait until your favorite fruit or vegetable is in-season, then stock up on it when it’s in-season and freeze the produce to save for later.
Besides, think of all the yummy recipes you can look forward to as each season changes!
Do you like eating seasonally?
I thought you might also like to see…
- A healthy recipe that makes for a good vegan dish, too.
- And these sous vide cookers you can use for your festive holiday meals.
This post is a collaboration with ZeroCater. Visit ZeroCater’s website here to learn more about their custom-curated food services.
About ZeroCater
ZeroCater makes planning and ordering food simple for companies by providing companies snacks and catered meals for any occasion. We specialize in offering meals from a diverse range of local restaurants, caterers, and food trucks alongside a personalized selection of snacks, beverages, and kitchen supplies, all tailored to your teams’ tastes and dietary preferences. ZeroCater is currently available in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, Los Angeles, Austin, Washington D.C. and Chicago.
[…] Also, check out these two stories on Good Life Detroit: an interview with Neha Kullar, creator of Palate Passport cookbook and How Eating Seasonally Can Keep You Healthy and Save You Money. […]