Eating with the Seasons

The beginning of last fall, I was in Washington for my cousin’s wedding. My family members went apple picking and Kyle offered me an apple over breakfast. I’m going to be honest: I’m not a huge apple fan. They just don’t have much flavor and, unless it’s a honeycrisp, there is no crunch. I love that fresh crunch feel!

The apple was phenomenal! One of the very best foods I had tasted. So, when I went on a date with a boy a couple of weeks later and had meat and pumpkin breath, I thought, “No problem! I’ll pop by the store and grab an apple to help the breath.” It was disgusting. The apple was mushy and had a weird taste to it. Nothing like the apples picked fresh in Washington!

Season food is produce that is purchased and consumed around the time it is harvested; in other words, it is fresh. The less time it has to sit on a shelf, the more nutrients that food will contain and the more benefit it will have to your overall health.

How do you know what food is in season and when? In the fall months of September, October and November, shop for the following things:

Veggies:
Artichoke, beets, bell pepper, broccolini, brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cauliflower, celery root, chard, corn, eggplant, fennel, garlic, mushrooms, parsnip, potatoes, pumpkin, radishes, rutabaga, spinach, sweet potatoes

Fruits:
Almonds, apples (apple picking!), chestnuts, cranberries, pears, persimmon, plums, pomegranate, raspberries, tamarillo, tangerines

Eating in season is great for your wallet. Foods in season cost less for farmers and distribution, which means it will also cost less for you. Try to shop at local farmer markets when you can or find a local produce stand near you. This helps support your local farmer as well, which is a win-win situation. When you buy from your local farms, you can ask the farmer how the food was harvested and know exactly what you are putting into your body.

For fun new recipes with your fresh produce, check out this site: https://foodprint.org/eating-sustainably/real-food-encyclopedia/

Happy harvesting!