Seasonal Eating

Eating in alignment with nature

Sourcing seasonal food and the benefits behind 

What is seasonal eating?

Eating seasonally, is a way of eating that is in conjunction with the season of the environment of which you are situated within. This way of eating encourages you to focus on in season fruits and vegetables. This lifestyle can include eating certain produce during specific parts of the year, with the predominate focus on fruits and vegetables because their growth depends on season specific weather.

The benefits seasonal eating

The benefits of eating this way can be categorised into 3 main sections:

Health

Environmental 

Financial 

Health:

Eating seasonally positively impacts our health by optimising nutrient availability, by the plant being at its most nutrient dense when picked. Eating seasonally goes hand in hand with eating locally, and when we eat locally, we reduce the time frame from field to fork. This means the produce is fresher and hence more dense in micro nutrients, vitamins and minerals. There is another great benefit for eating food that is in season, as ensures you get the best flavour. By choosing ingredients that are naturally in season, you will get fresher, sweeter and perfectly ripe produce that tastes better.

Environmental:

Eating seasonally reduces the demand for out of season produce which further supports more local produce and supports local farming in your area which means less transportation, less refrigeration, less hot houses, and less irradiation of produce. This supports the contrast of the taxing impact that the food industry has on our planet. 

Financial:

Eating local, seasonal produce has tremendous benefits for your nutrition, the environment, the local economy, and even your bank account. When we eat locally and seasonally we are adopting a more field to fork approach. Eating what is growing in abundance with the seasons is cheaper than buying out of season produce. This method of sourcing produce has a tremendous effect on not only our wallet but also putting our money into the right place. When the demand for local food increases, consumers support local economies. Seasonal eating contributes to a more sustainable diet as most current mainstream food systems are not sustainable, as they cause resource depletion and have dire impacts on the environment. 

How to know what foods are in season when?

Depending on geographical location, different foods will be optimal at different times of the year. To find out whats in season in your local area, why not do a little online research, create a annual seasonal food calendar or visit a local farmers market.

Seasonal Summary

Next time your considering choices for your food shop or what to cook for a dinner coming up, ask yourselves, where am I going to put my money?, How am I going to optimal nourish myself ?, What  environmental impact is my choice going to have?  Are you going to choose far fetched foods, with minimum nutrition, that are not in season? Or are you going to go for the greater good and choose the sustainable, seasonal way.