Why Food in Season Is SO Good for You

It’s Eco-Friendly to Eat Food in Season (and Health and Wallet-Friendly Too)

 

food in season

 

It’s not so long ago that we could ONLY eat food that was “in season”. Now, global food supplies make us believe that all food is in season all year round. But it’s not!

As a child, I remember the excitement as we approached Christmas-time, of the greengrocer arriving in his little van and showing us the fresh Satsuma oranges and tangerines.  They were wrapped in foil, with a little sticker on top, advertising the grower, holding it all closed.

Food in Season - Satsuma Oranges
Food in Season – Satsuma Oranges (December / Winter)

It was like getting early Christmas presents, opening them up!  Peeling them was so easy, and that gorgeous smell is so evocative to me of snuggling around the fire, family disagreements forgotten, all enjoying those delicious, small-but-oh-so-juicy oranges.  Their season was quite short, so we really appreciated those oranges while they lasted.  And then we moved on to other produce.  But as a child, I knew it was close to Christmas when the Satsumas arrived, and that made me happy.

But did you know that, even though you can get most foods year-round (depending on where you live), there are huge benefits to buying food in season?

Why You Should Buy Food in Season

Generally, food that’s in season is plentiful, so it’s well-priced. It’s cheaper to buy strawberries in summer, for example, when they’re harvested in abundance, than to buy them in winter when perhaps they have to be flown in from Spain or other warm countries.

If food has to be flown in (because it’s perishable) then it’s not eco-friendly because its carbon emissions are higher than if it’s just been put into a truck and driven a short distance from a farm to a local market.

steep tomatoes in baking soda, so raw food is safe to eatFood in season is generally healthier because it has little or no processing or transport. If perishable food is going to be transported and it will be a while before it reaches the consumer, it might be irradiated or sprayed with chemicals to delay ripening. It’s always healthier to avoid excess chemicals.

It can also be more convenient to buy food in season. Buy what is abundant and well-priced now, and freeze or preserve it, so that it’s on hand and you can enjoy it when it’s not so easily available.

Now that Farmers Markets have become more popular, more people are becoming aware of the benefits of eating food in season.

What’s in Season Now?

food in seasonIn cities, we are barely aware of the changing seasons.  Sure, we know it’s getting colder, or hotter, and we see the trees changing (gaining or losing leaves), but there’s too much concrete around us, so we don’t notice the hundreds of smaller changes that happen as the seasons change.

Question:  what food do you think is naturally abundant right now?  (Leaving aside the abundance in our supermarkets, I mean).

It’s probably easiest to identify food in season in Fall or Autumn.  Think pumpkins! But which fruits are good right now? Do you know?

I live in the southern hemisphere, so while the North cools down for Fall, I’m in Spring / Summer, enjoying Granny Smith apples and the last of the minneola oranges.

To find out what’s in season now, simply go to Google, Ecosia or your favorite search engine and type food in season, the month and your country or region (e.g. food in season November USA). You’ll find lists of fruit, vegetables, seafood and more!

But what about meat?  Do you ever think of meat as being seasonal?  Do you know what meat is good right now, where you live?

Next:  Find out why meat is seasonal – and what it means to you!

Editor’s Note: This post has been updated with newer information

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What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Warm regards,

signature Clare

 

 

 


Tags

eco friendly, food in season, healthy eating, seasonal food


  • Clare, living in California it seems that foods are always in season so I have not ever thought of it, I do know that oranges are about to get good inthe next few months.
    Scott Sylvan Bell

  • Another great post!
    I love picking fresh mandarins, oranges, lemons, bananas, mulberries, star fruit, peaches & nectarines off our tree there is nothing like the taste of fresh fruit, naturally!
    Looking forward to tomorrow!
    Create a great day!

  • Having grown up in the MIdwest, I always think of apples and pumpkins in the fall…and pies! I never thought of meat as been “seasonal” …will be interested to hear what you have to say on that!
    Sonya Lenzo

  • Hi Green Goddess,

    I remember when I lived in Northern California. July and August is when tomatoes hit their peak. Sacramento California is referred to locally then as Sacratomato because of the abundance of lush ripe warm fabulous tomatoes coming from there at the Farmers Markets. Oh man, and that is the best time of the year to embrace Heritage Tomatoes. I could eat them daily when they are in season then. Wistful now. Eating them out of season, they are still good. Just when they are in season they are amazingly delicious and nothing else is like them.

    Happy Dating and Relationships,

    April Braswell

  • Hi Clare!
    I never thougth of meat like something that changes depending on the season. Is that rigth? Could you explain a little bit more about it?

  • I loved your Christmas memory of oranges. I will say I’m an avid shopper as we have 7 grocery stores vieing for my dollar. I can tell what fruits and vegatables are really in season as every store has them on sale. I am also a huge sushi fan as well as all kinds of fish so I’ve got a handle on what fish are in season. I guess meat has a season too along with pork and chickens but I didn’t notice.

  • Never thought about what foods were in or out of season, as was said, just seems like they appear on the supermarkets shelves…

    Thanks Clare!

    Mark Hogan

  • Hi Clare,

    You are absolutely correct that fresh local grown foods are the best with the most flavor. I have never thought of meat as having a season, I can’t wait until tomorrow to learn more about this.

  • I’m very aware of the benefits of eating food in season, but I never knew about meat being in season. Look forward to learning more!

    Cherie Miranda

  • I’m a bit stumped by your question about what meat is in season. I guess from a hunting perspective (although I am not a hunter) there might be elk season or something like that. But other than that i can think of no great cattle or squirrel migration that takes place. So, I am definitely looking forward to reading your next post about this!

    Michael

  • Clare ~

    As usual, you bring something up that few, if any one, has heard of ( I have not, so thank you for raising my awareness, yet again! ) … MEAT in season … that is just fascinating. I am pretty good about eating fruits and vegetables in season, but meat was just a wake-up call. Can’t wait to see what you have for our reading and education next 🙂

    Stay Amazing and Do Great Things, Neil

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