Eating Seasonally

If you have heard some of the buzz surrounding "eating seasonally" then you may be wondering why this has become such a hot topic. You may even be thinking that this is an absurd thought because it would be silly to not take advantage of all the variety presented to us in the supermarket thanks to present-day technology. Shouldn't we be celebrating the option of eating asparagus year round as opposed to two months out of the year?  Yes and no.

All fruits and vegetables should be enjoyed year round. But the point is to emphasize certain foods over others because there are specific perks to doing so. It's not difficult to do if aware of what is in season when (there are tons of tools out there to help, like this one here and here).


Perks


It's better for the environment. Since food that is in season in your area doesn't need to go very far to reach your table there is a reduction in pollution emissions. Hello, healthier planet!

It's usually cheaper. With lower fuel and transportation costs, the price of the produce usually reflects this. The reason why I state that "usually" this is the case is because there are other factors that play a role in the price of a product. Variables like unusual weather conditions, damaged crops, etc. can prevent ideal pricing. But keep in mind, that if it's a season where the fruits and vegetables aren't cheaper, they generally are never more expensive than produce that's out of season- so you still might as well.

Tastes better and is fresher. This is a result of getting to your table faster and harvesting methods. Out of season fruits and vegetables are picked before becoming fully ripe and this gets in the way of proper taste and smell development. It also doesn't allow the nutritional value of the product to reach its fullest potential.

Eating seasonally is a way of creating the most delicious meals because you will be incorporating ingredients at their prime. Basically, this is why the strawberries that I am enjoying now taste like they've been dipped in sugar; yet the blueberries don't leave much of an impression.

I'm excited to take advantage of what the summer season has to offer and hopefully I've inspired you to do the same.