Seasonal Eating: How to Incorporate Local Produce into Your Diet
Eating seasonally is not only good for your health, but it’s also good for the environment and local economy. When you buy produce that’s in-season and grown locally, you’re supporting small farmers and reducing the carbon footprint of your food by minimizing transportation and refrigeration. Plus, seasonal produce is often cheaper and more flavorful than its out-of-season counterparts.
So how can you start eating seasonally? Here are some tips to get started:
1. Know what’s in season
The first step to eating seasonally is knowing what produce is actually in-season in your area. A quick Google search or trip to your local farmer’s market can help with this. In general, fruits like strawberries, peaches, cherries, and melons are typically available during the summer months while apples, pears, squash, pumpkins are typically available during fall/winter.
2. Get creative with recipes
Once you know what produce is in-season near you – it’s time to plan meals around it! Try searching for recipes using those ingredients on websites like Pinterest or Epicurious or use a cookbook like “Six Seasons” by Joshua McFadden which organizes recipes by different growing periods throughout the year.
3. Visit Farmers Markets
One great way to eat seasonally is by visiting farmers’ markets regularly where vendors sell fresh fruits and vegetables that were just picked from local farms within days of being sold at the market.
4. Preserve excess produce
When there’s an abundance of a particular fruit or vegetable available at a certain time of year that’s too much for one person or family to consume – consider preserving it through techniques such as freezing (like berries) or canning (like tomatoes). Not only will this allow you enjoy seasonal flavors all year round but helps reduce waste!
5. Try new things
Eating seasonally means trying new produce and incorporating new flavors into your diet. Be adventurous and try something you’ve never tried before like kohlrabi, chard or even heirloom tomatoes.
Eating seasonally is a simple way to support local farmers, reduce environmental impact, save money and eat healthier by consuming fresh fruits and vegetables that are at their peak of ripeness and flavor. By taking the time to learn what’s in season near you, getting creative with recipes, visiting farmers’ markets regularly, preserving excess produce for later use & trying new things – you’ll enjoy seasonal eating all year round!
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