Why Should You Choose Seasonal Produce?

It’s Day 21 of our June Clean Eating Challenge!  Today I want to give you 5 reasons why you should consider buying more in-season produce vs. out of season.

Not only do fresh fruits and vegetables contain more nutrition than their canned or frozen counterparts, they taste better, you can cook a larger variety of meals with them, and they are often cheaper than processed fruits and veggies. However, you have to be savvy when you shop for produce. You can’t just go in and grab whatever catches your eye. It’s always a good idea to buy produce that’s in season – currently being grown and harvested outdoors – than buying greenhouse produce or items that are shipped in from other parts of the world. Why? They are more readily available, and they are generally less expensive.

 5 Reasons to Buy In-Season Produce

In addition to saving almost half on your produce bill, buying in-season will help you get more out of your produce. Seasonal produce is healthier, tastier and cheaper – how can you go wrong?

1. Better Flavor and Nutrition – Greenhouse produce just doesn’t taste the same, does it? Produce grown and ripened in the sun always have the best flavor. Not only that, it is crispier, juicy and colorful. The sun does more than make fruits and vegetables taste better too; it infuses them with antioxidants. Fresh-grown produce always contains more nutrients and antioxidants than their greenhouse counterparts.
2. Organic (No Pesticides) – Produce grown off season in an unnatural environment requires more human intervention. Often it’s sprayed with pesticides, waxes, chemicals and preservatives in order to look like in-season produce.
3. Meet Seasonal Nutrition Requirements – You may not know it, but different types of produce grow at exactly the time your body needs them. For example, watermelon, cucumber, fruits and berries – summer favorites – contain a lot of water, which helps you remain cool and hydrated as the temp soars. Leafy greens, available in the spring, help detoxify the body and prepare it for shedding winter weight gain.
4. Adds Variety to Diet – Sure, you might have your favorites, but life would be boring if you ate the same fruits and veggies all the time. By purchasing produce when it’s in season, you have to add variety to your diet. Who knows? Maybe you will try something new, something that will become your new favorite food. Seasonal shopping also gives you a chance to look forward to eating all the fresh produce you love as it comes into season.
5. Allows You to Buy Locally – Farmer’s markets are a great place to pick up locally grown, organic, inexpensive produce. Since produce loses nutritional content daily after being harvested, buying locally also ensures that the produce you choose will have the highest nutrition content possible.

You see, buying fruits and vegetables while they’re in season makes sense for a whole host of reasons. If lowering your grocery bill isn’t enough to sway you, improving the quality of your life through the consumption of healthier and tastier foods should.