07/27/2022
Happy Wellness Wednesday everyone!
Let’s talk about seasonal eating for a sec. This is something I always try and at least touch on any time I’m teaching nutrition. We all know that there are SO many reasons for increased health issues, nutrient deficiencies, and generally feeling less-than-healthy.
But, seasonal eating is an important part of the picture. So what IS seasonal eating anyway? Simply put - seasonal eating is eating what is naturally grown in your local environment at that time of year. It’s eating what you (or another gardener/farmer) could actually growing in your backyard, regardless of where you purchase it. There are so many benefits to this.
🌱 varied nutrients throughout the year
🌱 less travel time for food: less risk of bacteria, less use of preservatives, color dyes, hormones, pesticides, and other chemicals across the board.
🌱 Less use of resources to fly, ship, train, or truck foods across the country and world
🌱 more support of your local economy, agriculture, and farmer
🌱 less reliance on the supply chain to be able to provide your family with food
These are only a few. While we all enjoy being able to walk into Walmart and buy strawberries any time of the year, there is a cost to that. You incur that cost in both that strawberry that you DO eat and the winter produce you DON’T eat because of it. If you think back to 200 years ago, do you know what people ate? What they could grow. They ate the antioxidant rich fruits of summer, the squash and cabbage of the fall, and all of the incredible powerhouse greens of the winter. They received SO much wider of a nutrient profile throughout the year, every year, because of the variety that they naturally consumed due to the cycle of the seasons.
Shopping local is always a great way to practice seasonal eating!
