Seasonal Eating

 Seasonal eating is a sustainable way of changing your diet that has many health advantages.

It is an easy way to add more nutritious produce to your diet and save money, while also lowering your carbon footprint at the same time.

Getting started is simple: you can visit your local farmers’ market, grocery store, or consider joining a community-supported agriculture group (CSA).

Here are some of the health benefits of seasonal eating

Instead of eating the same small group of fruits and vegetables year-round, seasonal eating encourages a varied diet. Branching out from your favorite kinds of fresh produce will give you important vitamins and minerals that you might not usually get.‌

Additionally, the quality and freshness of in-season produce are much better than out-of-season produce. Because demand for certain crops is high year-round, they are modified to grow in bulk and to resist disease, but these modifications take away some of their nutritious benefits. When fruits and vegetables are grown during their natural timeframe, they will grow and thrive without any harmful additives.

Here are some vegetables and fruits available in each season:

Spring: Apricots, Artichokes, Arugula, Asparagus, Avocados, Beets, Carrots, Cauliflower, Daikon, Cherries, Fava Beans, Fennel, Green Garlic, Green Onions, Leeks, Mangoes, Radishes, Rhubarb, Sugar Snap Peas, Salad Greens, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Shallots, Strawberries, Turnips, Watercress.

Summer: Blackberries, Blueberries, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplants, Figs, Garlic, Green Beans, Melons, Nectarines, Okra, Onions, Peaches, Peppers, Plums, Potatoes, Summer Squashes, Tomatoes, Tomatillos.

Fall: Apples, Arugula, Asian Pears, Beans, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Fennel, Green Tomatoes, Hard-Shelled Squashes, (Acorn Squash, Butternut, Blue Hubbard, Delicata, Baby Dumpling, Pumpkins) Pears, Persimmons, Pomegranates, Radicchio, Sweet Peppers, Sweet Potatoes. Winter: Broccoli Rabe, Cabbage, Celery Root, Citrus Fruits, Cooking Greens (Kale, Collards, Chard), Leeks, Parsnips, Rutabagas.  

References :

Hawthorn university (seasonal eating)

Web md seasonal eating