Discover Why Your Family Needs to Eat More Seasonal Foods

Discover why consuming seasonal foods is essential for your health and pocketbook. 

Choosing seasonal foods is not only a sustainable choice but also one that benefits your health and wallet. So, what’s a seasonal food exactly? Seasonal foods are those grown naturally during their specific growing period.

In the current North American economy, where food prices continue to rise due to inflation, supply chain disruptions, and climate-related challenges, choosing seasonal foods is a cost-effective and practical way to maintain a healthy diet. If you follow us on Instagram, you will be familiar with our periodical seasonal foods posts. 

Seasonal produce is often more affordable because it’s grown in abundance during its peak harvest time, reducing the need for expensive storage, transportation, and importation from other regions. Another great reason to switch to seasonal produce is that purchasing locally grown seasonal foods supports small and regional farmers. As families look for ways to stretch their grocery budgets without compromising nutrition, seasonal eating offers a solution that is both economical and nourishing (USDA, 2023; FAO, 2022).

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Why choose seasonal foods?

There is no shame in buying produce available to you, regardless of the season, but there are some key benefits to choosing seasonal produce.

From a global standpoint, foods grown outside their natural season may require additional resources, such as greenhouses or increased energy use for transportation, to ensure availability throughout the year. These methods can sometimes lead to higher energy consumption and a greater reliance on pesticides to maintain crop health. However, seasonal foods are typically harvested at their peak, allowing them to develop naturally, preserving their nutritional benefits and enhancing their flavor.

By choosing seasonal produce, you can support more sustainable practices that reduce the overall environmental impact, as these foods are often grown with fewer chemical inputs and require less energy-intensive transportation (Dury et al., 2020; Gorib et al., 2019).

• • Enhanced flavor and nutrition: Seasonal foods are known for their richer flavor and fresher texture, thanks to full development in their natural environment.
  • Lower environmental impact: By reducing reliance on chemicals, seasonal foods promote more sustainable and environmentally-friendly farming practices.
    
    Benefits of seasonal foods:

  • Reduced cost: Due to their abundance during the season, seasonal foods tend to be more economical, allowing for healthy eating at a lower cost. 

  • Tend to support local farmers: Supporting local farmers helps reduce the distance from farm to table which can further reduce transportation emissions. 

Seasonal foods in meals

To maximize the benefits of seasonal foods, it’s important to know what is available during each season. Here are some examples of typical seasonal foods to inspire your dietary choices in North America:

Spring: asparagus, arugula, beet greens, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, collard greens, fennel, lettuce, peas, radishes, spinach, strawberries, and rhubarb.

Summer: basil, beans, beets, bell peppers, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, kale, lettuce, melon, nectarines, okra, peaches, peas, peppers, plums, raspberries, squash, tomatoes, watermelon, and zucchini.

Fall: apples, arugula, butternut squash, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chestnuts, cranberries, eggplant, fennel, grapes, kale, leeks, mushrooms, pumpkins, pears, persimmons, sweet potatoes, and turnips.

Winter: brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery root, collard greens, fennel, kale, leeks, onions, parsnips, potatoes, rutabaga, sweet potatoes, and winter squash.

Use this as a reference for your next grocery store run! If you want access to recipes that give you inspiration on how to utilize seasonal produce in your family meals, download BLW Meals app.

References:

• Dury, L., & Hevia, J. (2020). Sustainable food systems and seasonal eating. Journal of Environmental Sustainability, 28(4), 212-220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jes.2020.01.005
• Gorib, M. E., Akter, T., & Karim, A. (2019). Environmental impacts of food production and seasonal food availability. Environmental Science & Technology, 53(17), 10213-10222. https://doi.org/10.1021/es900050j
• Dury, L., & Hevia, J. (2020). Sustainable food systems and seasonal eating. Journal of Environmental Sustainability, 28(4), 212-220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jes.2020.01.005
• Gorib, M. E., Akter, T., & Karim, A. (2019). Environmental impacts of food production and seasonal food availability. Environmental Science & Technology, 53(17), 10213-10222. https://doi.org/10.1021/es900050j
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). (2023). Food price outlook, 2023-2024. Retrieved from https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-price-outlook/
• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (2022). The state of food security and nutrition in the world. Retrieved from https://www.fao.org/state-of-food-security-nutrition