Eating seasonal fruits and vegetables is tasty and has many nutritional benefits. When fruits are fresh, they contain the necessary nutrients. This is because the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are still intact. Fruits and vegetables stored for a long time can lose some of their health benefits.
Seasonal fruits are rich in nutrients and also contain natural enzymes that assist in digestion and proper digestion of foods. This can prevent conditions, such as bloating caused by poor gut health.
Also, the seasonal fruits are not contaminated by chemicals that can upset the natural balance of bacteria in the gut. Choosing fresh fruits organically sourced helps the body assimilate all the nutrients needed for it to function optimally.
What exactly do seasonal fruits and vegetables contain? An important vitamin in seasonal fruits and vegetables is vitamin C; this vitamin strengthens the immune system and makes the skin radiant. Examples include vitamin C-rich foods such as oranges, strawberries, citrus, etc.
Essential vitamins such as vitamin A are available in seasonal vegetables like sweet potatoes and carrots, which are great for clear vision. In addition, vitamin K is one of the most neglected vitamins and a vital component the body need. Vitamin K helps in blood clotting and bone formation.
Green vegetables such as kale, spinach, and collard greens are good sources of Vitamin K. Eating food produce high in vitamin K are also good for the bones and the heart.
Besides the vitamins, seasonal fruits and vegetables also contain antioxidants. Beta-carotene from fruits and vegetables, like carrots and apricots, helps reduce inflammation and decrease the chances of chronic ailments.
Fiber is another nutrient available in seasonal fruits and vegetables. Fiber is very important in the digestion process, and it is known to reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Some examples of fiber-rich fruits include apples and pears, while fiber-rich vegetables include broccoli and Brussels sprouts, among others.
What is Seasonal Eating?
Seasonal eating is the concept of consuming food items that are produced and ready for harvest at a certain time of the year. The amazing thing about eating seasonal fruits and vegetables is that there are varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables to choose from.
When fruits are scarce, they are not just expensive, but most of them are not fresh. Although the preservatives in these fruits help them not to spoil quickly, and they have some antimicrobia functions, however, do you consider the nutritional value of what you are eating?
Fruits provide the body with the essential nutrients it needs; sadly, sometimes, what we consume is no longer ‘ veggies but preservatives’. Regular eating of fruits with preservatives can cause gastroinstestinal issues, while in some persons, it can lead to health conditions like asthma. This is because foods artifical preservatives such as aspartame, sulfites, and benzoates triggers asthma attack.
Seasonal foods are also good for your health in many ways. Freshly harvested foods are yet to under go the processes of adding chemicals and preservatives, so they are healthier than processed foods.
The Benefits of Eating Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables
With the increasing rate of people suffering from terminal illnesses like diabetes, kidney failure, and colon cancer, people must avoid processed foods. The additives added to these veggies can sustain their shell life; however, they might harm one’s health.
If you are still wondering why you should eat seasonal fruits, here are four benefits of eating seasonal fruits and vegetables.
1. Provides The Necessary Nutrients
One of the health benefits of eating sesonal fruits and vegetables is the nutrients you get from them. Although, fruits and veggies can be preserved, but the preservatives added can cause several health conditions in the human body.
Basically, fruits provide the body with essential nutrients to stay healthy, and to get those nutrients, you should eat them when they are fresh and in their season.
2. Enhances Food Safety
You must understand that eating fresh fruits and vegetables during their season enhances food safety. Fresh produce grown and harvested during a particular season can also be locally sourced, which reduces the chances of getting contaminated from long travels and storage.
Also, because such foods are harvested in their natural state, you are less likely to find preservative chemicals being added. When you eat fruits without any chemicals in them, you get the nutrients that your body needs to function well.
Also, many believe that eating fruits and vegetables in season ensures sustanable diet and more ecologically friendly. Since there is no need to transport it from far-off cultivation areas, it lowers energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, which helps to maintain the sustainability of the food system.
3. Saves Cost
When fruits are in their season, they are cheaper to buy. The amount you buy fruits when it’s their season won’t be the same when it’s off-season. Some fruits do well during the winter, while others grow well in the summer. So, it will cost you more to buy a certain fruit that is not in season.
Apart from the fact that you can buy these seasonal fruits and vegetables at a cheaper price, you can think outside the box to preserve the fruits in your own way. Most food preservatives used on fruits and veggies are not labeled, which means you have no idea of what you are eating.
To preserve your veggies for later use, you may freeze, can, dehydrate, or add vinegar to them. Note that none of these methods will make them lose their flavor or nutrients; rather, they will help you enjoy your favorite fruits throughout the year.
For instance, you may decide to prepare fruit jams, freeze fruit puree, or buy frozen fruits for use in smoothies, and this way, you will still have enough even when they are out of season.
4. Improves Gut Health
There are plenty benefits of eating seasonal fruits and vegetables. One of the advantages is that it enhances gut health. Fresh fruits and veggies contain nutrients that help the body with digestion and build good bacteria in the gut.
In addition, seasonal fruits have lots of dietary fiber. Fiber helps provide nourishment to the good bacteria in our gut, apart from assisting the body in regulating the right balance of microorganisms, it can boost digestion of food and the absorption of nutrients, further enhancing the body’s immunity to diseases.
So, it is important to eat various types of fruits depending on the season so that the body can get different nutrients that will help to improve the gut health.
How to add seasonal fruits and vegetables in your diet
1. Plan Your Meal
It is easy to include seasonal produce into your meals when you focus on a variety of fruits and vegetables available in a specific season. Find out what produce grows in your region during each season, and plan with those veggies.
Meal planning does not only guarantee that you get fresh produce, it will also help you save money. For example, if you are a fan of these fruits: spinach, broccoli, apricots, and blueberries, you should buy and prep your meals.
2. Buy from Local Farmers
Certainly, one of the easiest ways to integrate seasonal foods into your daily diet is by shopping at farmers’ markets. Buying from farm markets is cheaper and always fresh. You can’t compare the fruits and veggies you buy from grocery stores with those from local farmers.
Also, when you visit a local fruit market, there are varieties to buy. In case you don’t know, most of the fruits and vegetables you find in grocery stores were sourced from local farms. Of course, someone supplies them with those products. Why not do the same? You get fresh produce that gives you the nutritional benefit you seek.
3. Try New Recipes
For those who want to include seasonal produce to their daily diet but not sure how to do that, trying seasonal recipes is a good start. Today, there are plenty cookbooks, food blogs, and websites that one can learn various recipes and how to make them.
When it comes to preparing recipes for eating, there is no shortage of ways in which seasonal produce may be used for food preparation. It is good to try different recipes and make use of ingredients found in the local markets for fresh produce.
Because there are varieties of seasonal fruits and vegetables to buy, you may find it difficult fall short of ideas, so reading a cookbook will guide you.
4. Store Properly
It is advisable to include fresh seasonal foods in your daily meals, but you can keep some of the foods for later use so that you can use them throughout the year.
Preserve fruits and vegetables by processing them through canning, freezing, or pickling to be able to use them during other seasons. Besides, it will enable you to avoid wasting food and eat healthy seasonal foods at any time of the year.
Eating seasonal fruits and vegetables is more than just a trend. When buying your veggies, you should consider the health benefits. Remember, you are what you eat!
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