Eating Seasonally and Locally

There are some fantastic benefits of buying and eating seasonally and local; both for yourself and for our environment. It’s an easy change to make and will save you money! It is also great fun trying out new recipes as the latest vegetable comes into season. There are some great websites out there that have seasonal planners for fruit and vegetables to help get you started. Otherwise, you will soon get to know what is in season as you start frequenting your local farmer’s market and become familiar with the produce variety.

Here are some the main benefits of choosing to eat seasonally:

Tastier:

Let’s face it, a home-grown strawberry or tomato tastes amazing. You just can’t get more fresh. So when picking your fruit and vegetables, choose local produce for the same reason. It will have travelled far less, and that -just-picked’ fresh taste will remain!

Healthier:

It is said that fruits and veggies lose nutrients from the moment they are picked, so it goes without saying that the freshest produce is the healthiest.

Lower environmental impact:

Local produce has less far to travel; requires less refrigeration and therefore has a smaller carbon footprint. Seasonal produce uses a lot less energy than out-of-season greenhouse-grown food.

Better for our local community:

Using local markets is great for your local community, supporting your local farmers and connecting you with your community.

Cheaper:

All of these benefits mean that seasonal fruit and veggies are cheaper! So not only are you helping the environment, but you are also saving yourself a few dollars as well!

Further reading:

Seasonalfoodguide.com