As the seasons change, so should the fruits and vegetables that are available for us to eat. However, in the small global community we now live in, we often find ourselves enjoying our favourite fruits and vegetables all year round; which means we often don’t know what should be locally in-season, and could be missing out on key nutrients our bodies need. Below are the top five reasons why it’s important to eat seasonally, and a short list of our favourite winter foods.
1. Taste
Seasonal produce simply tastes better. Food that has been harvested in season is often fresher, juicier and full of flavour as a result of being allowed to ripen naturally.
2. More nutrients
Food that is consumed soon after harvesting is going to have a higher nutritional content than food that has been stored for long periods, or transported over long distances. It’s easy to tell, because the colours will be brighter and the food will be crispier and crunchier – not limp and lifeless.
3. Cheaper
Seasonal fruits and vegetables are cheaper, as farmers harvest their abundant crops and don’t have to spend large sums of money on transport or storage costs, the price of their in-season produce is far less.
4. Community
By buying and enjoying seasonal fruit and vegetables, you are supporting local farmers and small businesses and putting your money back into the community.
5. Avoiding unknown contaminants
While Australia has strict standards and guidelines around farming and the use of chemicals; other countries don’t use those same restrictions, and you may never know what pesticides and chemicals they have used in the growing, storage and packaging of their product before it is shipped here.
Check out the list below of some of our favourite winter fruits and vegetables for you to enjoy this season:
Fruit – Apples, Avocado, Kiwifruit, Mandarins, Nashi, Oranges
Vegetables – Artichokes, Beetroot, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Leeks, Potato, Sweet potato
by Jaime Talevska ND
For more diet tips, personalised to you, speak to a Bodyactive Naturopath today.