Maybe you’re interested in seasonal eating because you’ve heard it’s healthy, or maybe it’s because you’ve noticed that some of your favorite produce is cheaper during some seasons than others. No matter what your reason is, I’m happy to share with you the benefits of eating seasonally.

WHY shop seasonally?

1.It’s better for your health- Eating in-season foods helps support our bodies natural cleansing and healing abilities.

Though you may see beautiful tomatoes, strawberries and peppers in the supermarket at any given time of the year, it’s important to know that such produce is only available out of season thanks to the help of chemicals, waxes and other unnatural ingredients that are relied upon to help them look better and have a longer shelf life. Also, the nutrients in those out of season fruits and vegetables are much lower than that of the same produce when purchased in season. The combination of excess toxins with a reduction of nutrition make out of season produce less desirable.

When you eat seasonally, not only are you getting those most nutritional value out of the produce you are consuming but you are most likely opening your kitchen up to wider range of foods that you may not have tried before. For example spring produce offers a variety of greens, spring onions and garlic which are important for cleansing and detoxifying your body the way nature intended it to be. 

2. It’s better for your wallet- Purchasing out of season produce is more expensive.

When foods are not in season but still available at your local supermarket, it means those goods have traveled a long distance to be available for sale on the shelves. Longer distances means, not only a drop in nutritional value due to being picked before peak ripeness, but also a higher fee for transportation which gets transferred directly to the consumer. Buying in-season goods are much more inexpensive because the distance to the store is much shorter which will help you save money on your grocery bills.

3. It’s better for your community- Typically, buying in-season foods means you are supporting your local farmer.

I understand this may not apply to the winter season depending on which region you live in, since in many parts of the country growing produce can be nearly impossible in winter. But, during spring, summer and fall there is nothing better than heading to your local farmers market and buying locally grown, fresh produce. Supporting our local farmers is incredibly important to grow the community, not to mention you get your hands on some of the yummiest fruits and veggies fresh picked from the earth- YUM!

HOW to eat seasonally.

If eating seasonally is new to you, please remember you are not alone. There are many people who are just now learning the benefits of eating in-season, local produce. It was also new to me once and that was my inspiration to writing this guide. Here are a few tips and tricks I used (and still use) to help live a healthy, fresh, seasonal lifestyle. 

1.Do you research.

Start by finding a season produce guide that gives you a list of what’s in season, for each season. From that list, find a handful of fruits and vegetables that you already know and love but also pick a few that may be new to you, seasonal eating provides a great opportunity to explore new options and expand your palate. 

2. Find some recipes.

Now that you know what produce you’re looking for, find some recipes that coordinate with the foods you are incorporating; these can be new recipes or some old favorites.

Note: This part can get a little overwhelming for some, including myself. Meal planning is hard in general, not to mention when you are trying to experiment with new foods and recipes. To curb the difficulty, try to start with one new fruit, vegetable or recipe a week, that way you can have a little fun and find what works or what doesn’t, without getting too burnt out in the process.

3. Get out there and shop!

So you’ve got your guide, recipes and (hopefully) grocery list, what are you waiting for? Find a local farmers market near you, get out there and shop, you seasonal eater, you!