Including more locally grown and seasonal foods in your diet provides several health and environmental benefits for you, your community, and the ecosystem as a whole. Here are some of the reasons why we believe it is important to eat seasonally and locally.
Higher density nutrient
Soil quality, sunshine, and climate all have a role in nutrient composition. One research discovered that broccoli grown in-season in the fall has double the vitamin C as broccoli grown out-of-season in the spring. While the study’s goal was to compare the nutritional value of organic and conventionally produced food, it found that the growing season seemed to have the greatest influence on vitamin C concentration.
Boosts flavor and quality
Most people think that fresh strawberries in the spring and early summer are the tastiest and that most fruits and vegetables are best bought at the local farmers’ market. To regulate ripening, spoilage, and quality throughout transit, many growers have turned to post-harvest treatments, which typically involve a loss of quality through the use of heat, irradiation, and edible coatings. Bananas, for example, are one of the most widely consumed crops worldwide, and their quality is altered by ripening agents in terms of color, texture, and flavor.
Increases the availability
It should come as no surprise that eating seasonally and regionally is more cost-effective for your budget. We are all aware of how much more costly strawberries from the grocery store are than strawberries from the farmers’ market stand. When fruits and vegetables are in season, there is a greater quantity of them accessible, which results in reduced costs.
Dietary variety
By experimenting with various fresh produce and eating with the seasons, we can include a variety of different fruits and vegetables on our plates, allowing us to include a variety of different fruits and vegetables on our plates. The consumption of a diverse diet enhances the number of vitamins and minerals we eat, which improves our overall health and well-being while also potentially having a beneficial influence on our gut health.
Eating seasonally saves money.
Buying seasonal food saves us money on food grown further away or out of season. Shipping food across the nation or the globe costs us more. Seasonal food has a balanced supply and demand. Getting a nice tomato in New York during the winter is another matter. Keep an eye on food store prices; they fluctuate depending on the season.
Summary
Traditions such as Ayurveda’s ritucharya emphasize eating seasonally and connecting with nature. Comparing local, luscious strawberries or big, juicy nectarines to their out-of-season, imported counterparts will reveal that eating seasonally increases the flavor. Produce from local farms is also more healthy, reduces your carbon footprint, saves you money, and fosters a sense of community with agriculture. Seasonal eating has a lot of advantages.