You may have seen graphics or heard people talk about eating “in-season,” but what does that really mean, and why do they do it?
Seasonal eating means eating produce currently harvested at its peak, with all the benefits that come along with it. Eating fruit harvested out of season may cost more, not have as many nutrients, and even not taste as good as one in season. Thanks to the US Department of Agriculture, it’s easy for consumers to easily determine what crops are currently in season.
This post will focus specifically on summer produce! So keep reading to find out which fruits and veggies made the cut!
Summer Fruits
Apples Apricots Avocados Bananas Blackberries
Blueberries Cantaloupe Cherries Lemons Limes
Mangos Peaches Plums Raspberries Strawberries
Watermelon
Summer Veggies
Beets Bell Peppers Carrots Celery Corn
Cucumbers Eggplant Garlic Green Beans Herbs
Lima Beans Okra Summer Squash Tomatillos Tomatoes
Zucchini
Some fruits and vegetables, like apples and carrots for example, are actually produced year round. But why should we try to incorporate seasonal produce?
Why?
The Benefits of Eating in Season
The first benefit most people are looking for is probably that it costs LESS to buy produce in season! For example, since it is currently summer, you may have noticed that berries are much cheaper. This is because they are summer fruits and in season now.
The second benefit of eating in season is taste! Produce grown at the optimal time will ripen when it is designed to; meaning summer produce will just naturally taste better in summer (not to mention be super nutritious). Out of season fruits and veggies can be chemically ripened or created to have a long shelf life, which detracts from taste.
The third benefit we have is that it's environmentally friendly! Remember, many fruits and vegetables are flown in on planes from around the world, using expensive and harmful tanks of fuel. Then they must be driven to individual stores in order to be stocked on shelves.
Which leads us to our final and fourth benefit, you would likely be supporting your local farmers! Hard workers, that might live down the street from you, can support their families while providing you with fresh, tasty produce. Win-win! Look for a farmers market near you to explore your options.
Best Ways to Eat in Season
Hitting up your local farmers market is the best way to ensure you’re getting seasonal produce.
If you’re buying fruit from a grocery store, it might have been flown in from across the world and sat in a warehouse. On the other hand, buying from a farm, in the same city, will guarantee the fruit is in season because it was just harvested to be sold.
There are different forms of produce you can buy: fresh, frozen, canned, and even dried.
Fresh produce: amazing (unless you don’t eat it quick enough)! Most people might assume that fresh is always better, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Frozen foods are frozen soon after harvesting, and therefore usually contain similar amounts of nutrients as fresh, though may be less flavorful.
The same applies to canned foods. Be sure, however, to watch sodium and sugar content in canned fruits and vegetables. Often, manufacturers will package these foods with high amounts of added sodium and sugar. Low sodium and sugar options are readily available.
And finally we have dried produce, which might not be better than fresh produce, but are definitely way better than nothing! As with canned, always choose low sugar or no added sugar options.
The upside to the three later forms is they can last much longer than fresh produce sitting on the counter or in the fridge. This may be something to think about if you are a busy family always on the go; or maybe live on your own and will not go through food as fast.
Accessibility
Some great news for accessibility to seasonal produce is that farmers markets are now allowing purchases with food stamp programs!
By working with local farmers, the program not only benefits the recipient, but also the hard workers who grow the food.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) gives nutrition benefits to low-income families so they can ensure access to fruits, veggies, and certain foodstuffs. Typically it could only be used to purchase food at regular stores, but it has crossed over to farmer’s markets as well!
If you’re interested in learning more about SNAP or want to see if you qualify, check out their website here.
Another great and similar program is the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). This program focuses on helping low-income seniors (60+) access locally grown produce, while also supporting local farmers.
If you want to learn more about SFMNP, check out their website here.
Recipes
Click HERE for some free summer fruit and vegetable recipes to get you started
content contributed by: Kieren Ritter
Kieren is an RD2B, studying nutrition at State University of New York: Plattsburgh. She is passionate about all things sports, outdoors and holistic health. You can find her on Instagram @healthwithkj
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