Seasonal Eating
Image credit: balanchel
What is ‘Seasonal Eating’, why it is important and what are the benefits?
Seasonal eating is simple you just eat foods that have been harvested locally at the same time of the year your are consuming them. Why should you consider eating this way? With so much variety and choice in the local supermarket it can be easy just to pick up what is on offer or your go-to five a day without giving it any real consideration.
‘I like to think of it as nature’s way of providing us with what we need’
Well the main reason is simple, it is healthier. Seasonal foods have normally been naturally grown and are fresher meaning they contain more nutrients. They have not been transported or held in cargo holds and shipping containers for days which can impact the nutritional content of the food and cause the depreciation of vital nutrients prior to them even reaching your supermarket shelves [1, 2]. When we look at the nutritional content of the food produced for us seasonally and our changing needs with the seasons; I like to think of it as nature’s way of providing us with what we need. Unlike many of the other popular trends in eating right now, this is less of a fad and is more about reverting to the natural way of eating that offers us variety. This variety helps to protect our nutritional status and helps us achieve a balanced diet through the changing seasons.
Other benefits:
It tastes better, for the same reasons the produce is healthier, they have been naturally grown, are fresher and not had to endure travel or storage for long periods of time.
The biggest misconception regarding seasonal eating is it can be expensive where as it can actually be more cost effective. As the produce has not needed to be grown in managed conditions, transported or stored for prolonged periods therefore the savings can often be passed on to the consumer.
It can be better for the environment, due to reduced carbon emissions from transportation and deforestation. It is a more sustainable way of eating and producing foods, it supports soil quality (as cyclical patterns of growing enriches the soil with vital nutrients and supports a healthy soil microflora) and can reduce the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides [3-5].
Can encourage you to try new produce and increase the diversity of your food which can in turn improve your nutritional intake.
Can be a great way to get kids to eat a bigger variety of fruits and vegetables, by letting them get involved by shopping or pick the produce with you, choose interesting foods and most importantly let them touch the foods you buy, be involved in the prep, get creative and let them see you eat it!
30 Fruits and Vegetables that will help bring Autumn to your table.
Apples, Beetroot, Blackberries, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Cavolo Nero, Celeriac, Chestnuts, Cranberries, Elderberries, Kale, Leeks, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips, Pears, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Radicchio, Runner Beans, Salad leaves, Spinach, Squashes, Swede, Sweetcorn, Swiss Chard, Turnips.
Ways to make eating seasonally easy:
Shop local - such as at farm shops, greengrocers and farmers markets, you will not only be helping yourself but your local business too.
Use veg box schemes - especially useful during lockdown!
Grow your own.
Use seasonal recipe books to meal plan (check out my butternut squash soup recipe here and keep an eye out on the blog for more seasonal recipes coming soon).
Be creative.
If you really can’t find seasonal produce or you need to top up with other options I always tell clients to look to the freezer. I know for many of you this may come as a shock but frozen fruits and vegetables often contain more nutrients than other produce on the shelves that is not in season due to them being quickly frozen after harvesting thereby reducing the loss of nutrients [1].
Stay happy and healthy,
Chel
Rickman, J.C., Barrett, D.M. and Bruhn, C.M., 2007. Nutritional comparison of fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables. Part 1. Vitamins C and B and phenolic compounds. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 87(6), pp.930-944.
Lee, S.K. and Kader, A.A., 2000. Preharvest and postharvest factors influencing vitamin C content of horticultural crops. Postharvest biology and technology, 20(3), pp.207-220.
Macdiarmid, J.I., 2014. Seasonality and dietary requirements: will eating seasonal food contribute to health and environmental sustainability?. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 73(3), pp.368-375.
Smith, R.G., Gross, K.L. and Robertson, G.P., 2008. Effects of crop diversity on agroecosystem function: crop yield response. Ecosystems, 11(3), pp.355-366.
Venter, Z.S., Jacobs, K. and Hawkins, H.J., 2016. The impact of crop rotation on soil microbial diversity: A meta-analysis. Pedobiologia, 59(4), pp.215-223.