Why Eating Seasonal & Local Is Good For You

Happy Monday! My Farmers Market Haul from last week 🙂  #farmersmarketforlife

A few reasons why eating seasonal & local is good for you:

More Flavorful Produce. If you have ever experienced the glorious sweet and juicy taste of a tomato that was plucked from a local garden you will understand this point completely. Local and seasonal produce just tastes better, hands down. This is primarily because farmers aren’t pulling the produce before it’s ripe. The other difference between local and seasonal vs. produce is less food miles! 

High Nutritional Value. As mentioned in the last point, there are several factors that can affect the nutritional density of produce. The produce may be picked before it’s ripe, and chilled and heated before it ever hits the shelves. When fruits and vegetables are stored for long periods of time, they will have a reduced amount of phytonutrients. In addition to this, some antioxidants such as vitamin C, folate, and carotenoids will rapidly decline when stored for long periods of time.

Supports Seasonal Nutritional Needs. Nature really does know best. In fact nature offers us produce during specific seasons that complement what we may need nutritionally to be at our best. For instance in winter we are provided with citrus and fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C; perfect for boosting immunity and preventing the onset of a cold or flu. Summer foods provide us with extra beta carotene and other carotenoids that help protect us against sun damage, provide more natural sugar to give us more energy to beat the heat, and vegetables that are great for cooling meals like salads.

Reduces Exposure to Contaminants. When you can look your farmer in the eye at a market to find out whether or not the produce is pesticide-free you are bound to get a more accurate answer than trying to research information about produce that was transported thousands of miles away. 

Supports Your Local Economy. By buying seasonal and local produce you are supporting businesses operating in your local economy. This reduces the overall cost, emissions, and time and means less transportation, less refrigeration, less hot houses, and less irradiation of produce.