How to Eat Seasonally
By Sara Butler
Way back in the day when your ancestors were hunters and gatherers, they had no choice but to eat what the season had to offer. It's not as if they could flash-freeze their favorite summer vegetable or can their springtime bounty to enjoy all year long. While you no longer have to eat like a caveman, learning how to eat seasonally can help to boost your overall health and wellness. Here are a few of the ways you can easily eat with the seasons!
The Advantages of Seasonal Eating
The reason you want to try to incorporate as many seasonal foods into your diet as you can is that:
- They are less expensive
- They pack a big nutritional punch
- They are very flavorful
Consumers today are lucky because bounty from all over the world is at their fingertips. Oranges in December? Hallelujah!
But it's easy to lose sight of the healthy things in front of you when you have so much choice. The truth of the matter is that when foods are shipped, they get to your days or weeks after they are picked, which only degrades their flavor and nutritional value. Plus, they probably have some sort of preservative added, which is concerning if you're trying to stay away from that.
Your locally-grown, seasonal foods are made to fit your specific nutritional needs. If you live someplace cold, the natural oils from nuts help to keep you warm while the orange flesh of squash helps to keep your immune system strong. Eating seasonally is, quite simply, just the healthiest and easiest option!
How to Eat Seasonally
Eating seasonally should be pretty easy, but it varies from region to region. If you follow these basic guidelines, eating seasonally is simple:
- In the winter - Choose hearty foods. The general rule is that the longer food takes to grow, the more sustaining to your body and more likely to deliver more nutrients, so go for root vegetables such as potatoes, garlic, onions, and carrots, as well as nuts, eggs, and corn.
- In the spring - This is the season of tender leafy vegetables such as Romaine, Swiss chard, peas, spinach, and fresh herbs such as dill, parsley, and basil.
- In the summer - Try light produce such as pears, apples, plums, summer squash, corn, cauliflower, broccoli, and herbs such as mint and cilantro.
- In the fall - Go for the hearty harvest, gobbling up sweet potatoes, garlic, onions, and carrots. Also try experimenting with warmer spices such as ginger, mustard seed, and peppercorns.
Eating seasonally isn't difficult -- you simply need to know where to start!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Roswell, Ga.