Why eat with the seasons?
Avant Post
Modern agriculture and food processing techniques have made most foods available year round. We have forgotten that food availability changes with the seasons and even though it is possible for us to eat tomatoes in the dead of Winter, it doesn’t mean we should.
According to Ayurveda along with scientists and researchers, it is key to eat with the cycles of nature and consume food that is grown in the season we are eating it. Eating seasonally is not only better for our health, it is also better for the environment and our wallets!
Seasonal eating supports our seasonal needs
Each season, nature provides the ideal harvest to keep us strong, energized and healthy. When we eat with the seasons, we align our rhythms with the rhythms of nature – taking advantage of the harvest schedule to consume produce that is at its peak freshness and packed with the nutritional value that our body needs in this specific season. For example, in the Winter time, it is preferable to eat grounding and warming produce like squash, beets, onions and cabbage because they are naturally designed to help us withstand the season’s cold temperatures. In the Spring time, we gravitate towards leafy greens, asparagus and fresh peas because they naturally flush out what we no longer need from the long Winter.By eating what’s on nature’s ‘menu’, we guarantee a strong immune system and optimal balance throughout the year.
IT’s the cleanest, especially if local
A seasonal diet ensures we’re consuming foods that are densein the nutrients we need but it also minimizes our chances of eating foods that underwent unnatural preservative processes against spoiling, especially if we buy locally. In order to preserve foods that are out of season and have to travel from far, produce are often covered in pesticides, waxes, and preservatives that maintain a fresh appearance. Do you know what is the average age of an apple in a grocery store? The shocking truth is that it is ONE year old on average. Yes, you read us right: ONE year old. That’s because apples we buy from grocery stores are generally picked when they’re slightly unripe, treated with a chemical called 1-methylcyclopropene, waxed, boxed, stacked on pallets, and kept in cold storage warehouses for an average of 12 months.So when we’re buying an apple in a grocery store, outside of our local farmer’s market and their peak season (mid-September to mid-November), we’re buying a one-year-old ‘ball of sugar’ that lost most, if not all, of its nutrient content.
By choosing organic, seasonal and local foods, we makethe better choice for our health while supporting local farmers who choose to farm sustainably, preserve the environment and save because seasonal foods are cheaper to produce and often cheaper to buy when they are in season. Happy seasonal eating.
Seasonal produce guide
This may change based on where you live so find a comprehensive list of seasonal produce near you here.
Winter: beets, brussels sprouts, grapefruit, kiwi, leeks, lemons, oranges, parsnips, pears, potatoes, pumpkin, sweet potatoes and yams, Winter squash
Spring: Apricots, asparagus, broccoli, green beans, mangoes, mushrooms, peas, radishes, rhubarb, spinach, strawberries, swiss chard
Summer: Avocadoes, bell peppers, berries, cantaloupe, cherries, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, honeydew melon, okra, peaches, plums, Summer squash, tomatoes, watermelon
Fall: Apples, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, cranberries, grapes, kale, mushrooms, parsnips, pears, potatoes, pumpkin, sweet potatoes and yams, turnips, Winter squash