Out of all the diets and ways of eating that are out there today I have to argue that eating home cooked food in season has got to be the easiest and most sensible out there. Most of us do it to a degree without trying anyway. Do you know what produce goes on sale? The stuff that’s in greatest supply. So lets look at why you should care, shall we?
Cost
As already mentioned the produce that goes on sale, outside of holiday influence, is simply the stuff that needs to be moved because there’s so much of it being grown. Following sale ads is by far the easiest way of knowing what’s in season at any given point.
So in spring you can expect things like asparagus, radishes, leaf lettuces and peas. Plan accordingly. Learn how to preserve some of these things for even greater savings. Pickled radishes and asparagus, blanched and frozen sweet peas are good places to start. If you stock up now it can save you in the future as well as provide you a cache of whole foods to feed yourself and your family.
Quality
Put simply… the quality of produce will be higher when it’s in season as opposed to being forced to grow out of season. Or shipped a great distance. Anyone who has had a mealy refrigerated and tasteless tomato in the middle of January knows this. So avoid the tomato and reach for an orange instead. Did you know citrus season is in winter? We associate it with warmer months because it grows in a warm climate. However, it’s harvested in winter!
So don’t just plan to eat salads for your new years resolution. Learn how to make a WINTER salad. It’ll actually taste good! Check out my pinterest board: Salads if you’re not sure where to start. Oh and that tomato? Learn to dream about the delicious bruschetta you’ll gorge yourself on in July. It keeps things exciting in March when it snows… again.
Health
You knew this had to be on here, right? Of course it’s gonna be said that eating seasonally is good for your health but do you know why? For one, if you’re focused on the produce that’s in season it’s likely that you’re eating more of it. And more fruits and veggies are almost always a good thing. But did you know that there are nuances to food that most people are completely ignorant of?
Lets start with and easy one. As you know citrus is actually a winter harvest. You also probably already know that citrus is full of vitamin C. What do so many swear by when a cold is coming on? What season do most colds happen? Interesting, huh?
Ok, lets go deeper. And by deeper I mean like 10-12 feet deep. Who loves asparagus? ME! It’s totally me guys. Did you know asparagus roots are known to reach depths such as 10-12 feet? That’s crazy! No other common produce does stuff like that. Do you know what’s down 10 feet? Minerals that no other vegetable is going to find and transfer up into something you can eat.
Just imagine after months of being stuck inside, short days with little sunshine, viruses having their way with our immune system and here’s this little miracle of a fern stem providing us with minerals from 10 feet down in the soil. And FIRST THING too. Asparagus is going to be your first sign of spring in most gardens. So learn to love it!
Alright, I’m about to really blow your mind. Ready? I really did mean to gorge yourself on some quality tomatoes in July because while you’re out there with your tomatoes you’re also probably risking looking like a tomato at the end of the day if you’re not careful.
But guess what? Tomatoes have something in them called lycopene. Lycopene naturally boosts the skins tolerance to sun. Not enough to throw out the sunscreen just yet but it certainly goes a long way in the argument to eat what’s in season.
This ecosystem of ours is far more sophisticated then we give it credit for and we should be taking advantage of it instead of always trying to manipulate it.
