Why eating seasonally is best!

When I was younger, I never much thought about why fruits such as watermelon and peaches were yummier in the summer than at other times of the year (if you could find them). Similarly, fish, salads and lighter fare was served more so in our house during the hot, hazy days of summer.  To this day, I still eat way more salad in the summer months, than in winter.  It wasn’t just that these foods tasted better, they provided that feeling of … “yes, this is just what was needed today”. 

In the fall and winter, we had heartier meals of meats, rice, curry, apples, squash and potatoes and in a West Indian home, “provisions” which consisted of various starchy root vegetables such as cassava and sweet potatoes, among others.  These meals stuck to your ribs, which was very needed in the cold winter months! 

As an adult, I of course have read that eating fruits in season is best.  However, did you know that eating seasonally in general gives your body what it needs at the very time or “season” it needs those nutrients?

Somewhere along the road, we lost that very natural activity of eating seasonally because now pretty much all food is available to us year-round.  If we want to eat watermelon in February, we can!  Will it be as satisfying as if you had eaten it in July?  Maybe not.

I have learned (through studying and trial and error) that eating seasonally gives us the fuel we need for that season.  Spring and summer are geared more towards a diet of lighter fare, while the heartier fare of autumn and winter keeps the body warm and cozy (especially if you must deal with Canadian Winters). 

Eating seasonally is not only good for the body nutritionally.  Now that I am much more aware of what I am putting into my body, eating seasonally makes me feel good to know that I am giving my body the fuel it needs for the season I am in.

If you are beginning your journey of eating healthier, seasonal eating is a great way to begin.  You will be eating according to how Nature intended, eating foods at the their most potent and eating foods that can provide you with the most they have to offer. 

Winning!