It is common knowledge to eat 2-3 servings of fruits and 5-7 servings of vegetables per day. Today, we will deep dive into how you can get more bang for your buck when eating fruits and veggies. What does that mean, you ask? While you incorporate fruits and veggies into your diet, you may not know how important it is to eat in-season. If that’s you, have no fear! CF Nutrition is here to break down the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables in season and to help you choose seasonal foods today.
If you’re like most people, you probably aren’t aware of what fruits and vegetables are in season or what “in-season” really means. It’s not an easy task and—just like anything else—it requires a little mindfulness and effort to make this diet and lifestyle change. Seasonal food is produced and consumed around the time it is harvested. Eating seasonal foods offers an array of benefits—they’re fresher, tastier, cheaper, and more nutritious.
Most people don’t eat seasonal foods because it is relatively easy and convenient to eat most fruits and vegetables year-round. This explains why some of us may not realize that the broccoli we have in July isn’t really in-season, nor is the watermelon we have in December. Due to high consumer demands, farmers and grocery stores have created ways to meet the needs of the consumers by modifying fruits and vegetables so they can be produced and sold in large quantities year-round. Although this is very convenient for us as consumers it may not be best for our health.
Wondering why eating seasonally is important? We’ve got you covered….
1. Eating seasonally is better for you.
Arguably at the top of the list, eating seasonal foods is better for your health. Foods grown in season are more nutritionally dense, meaning they provide you with more antioxidants. Plus, when foods aren’t grown in season, they may have chemicals added to them to speed up and interfere with the usual ripening pattern. Some fruits and vegetables available year-round have ripening agents added to them to make them taste good to consumers. This is great for those who want to eat an apple in spring, but it affects the nutrient content and freshness of the food. By choosing to eat fruits in their harvest season, you provide your body with more vitamins and minerals. You also avoid the harmful chemicals added to enhance the ripening process, color, and flavor of the food.
2. Produce tastes better when it’s in season.
The second reason to eat in season is that veggies and fruit taste far better when you do. Large production of off-season produce tends to affect the flavor. Ever notice how tasty watermelon is in the summertime? It isn’t just because the heat makes it seem so refreshing. It’s fresher and more flavorful in the summertime when it’s in season. When fruits and vegetables are naturally grown and picked in season, they are full of flavors and nutrients. Again, there is less added to the food and you can taste its natural flavors as they are intended to be.
3. Eating seasonally is more affordable.
Another reason to eat fruits and vegetables while they are in-season is that they are more affordable. When fruit and vegetables are in season, they are typically grown in bulk. This means there will be more available to the consumer and more for the producer to sell. To cut the cost further, buy fruits and vegetables locally. This will cut transportation time and cost. Whenever possible, it’s always best to buy from a local farmer or farmers market.
Psst…to see what fruits and vegetable are in season visit: https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/
Although it is easy to consume the same fruits and vegetables that we are used to year-round, you are truly doing yourself a disservice by not consuming foods in-season. At CF Nutrition, we encourage you to educate yourself on seasonal foods to improve your health and get the tastiest and freshest produce available.
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Ready for more goodness? Browse the rest of the CF Nutrition blog for empowering health, wellness, and lifestyle tips. And don’t forget to fuel yourself and your family throughout all of the seasons with the clean, clinical replenishment of CF(Rehydrate)® Immunity +.