In our Westernised world of Tescos and Aldis, where the shelves are stocked with produce from all over the globe, it can be easy to forget where and when things grow. All your favourite fruit and veg are always to hand, ready to pop in the trolley, all year round. But what about eating seasonally?
Eating seasonally simply means eating foods that are growing locally, right now. Wondering why you should bother? Check out three top benefits below –
1. Nutritionally better
Out-of-season fruit and vegetables can spend days in shipping containers before reaching the shop shelf, decreasing in nutritional content as it goes.1https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24915343/ Buying in-season produce means you’re more likely to be buying local food, which has a much shorter journey from the farm to the shop, with less nutrients lost in transit. The fresher, the better!
2. Saves money
Out-of-season foods are grown in regulated conditions and transported from overseas, increasing the cost to the supermarket and then to you, the consumer. Save your pennies and eat local, seasonal produce which can be grown in natural conditions, within a much shorter distance to the point of sale.
You may find that many supermarkets put deals and offers on in-season fruit and veg, while out-of-season food is usually more costly.
3. Environmentally friendly 🙂
When food has to travel a long way to get to the shop shelf, it comes with a carbon footprint. The in-season strawberry, grown more locally, has had a shorter, more sustainable trip compared to strawberries grown and imported from different climates around the world.
Seasonal dishes
July is a great month for you to start eating seasonally, with lots of delicious fruit and vegetables grown right here in the UK. Next time you head for your weekly shop, add peaches, raspberries, fresh beetroot, new potatoes and fennel bulb to your list, and enjoy the following in-season dishes –
Peach & raspberry bake
Ingredients:
- 4 fresh peaches
- 3 TSPs lemon zest
- 1 TBSP yacon syrup (for extra gut-health-goodness!) or runny honey
- 1 punnet of fresh raspberries
- Ground cinnamon
Method:
- Cut your peaches in half and remove the stone from each. Place the halves in an oven-proof dish and sprinkle with cinnamon and lemon zest, then drizzle over the yacon syrup/honey.
- Cover with tinfoil and bake at 180c for approximately 15 minutes.
- Pull the dish out of the oven, add the raspberries, re-cover with foil and bake for a further five minutes until the fruits are tender.
- Enjoy served with natural A2 yogurt or cream.
Beetroot salad
Ingredients:
- 4 medium fresh beetroot
- Large bunch of rocket and watercress
- Balsamic vinegar (to your liking)
- 30g toasted walnuts
- 1/2 shallot thinly sliced
- Hard goats cheese (to your liking)
- Sea salt & pepper
Method:
- Trim the leaves and stalks of the beetroot and boil in a large saucepan of water. Once tender, remove from the pan and slip the skins off. Chop into quarters.
- Add the rocket and watercress to a large dish, pop the beetroot on top and season with sea salt and pepper.
- Glug balsamic vinegar over the top (as little or as much as you like!), sprinkle sliced shallot and toasted walnuts over everything, then rip the goats cheese and top.
- Serve alongside roast lamb for a more summery take on a roast dinner, or with quinoa and other salad dishes.
Roasted new potatoes & fennel
Ingredients:
- 10 new potatoes
- Olive oil
- 1 large fennel bulb
- 1 TSP fresh or dried thyme
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 TBSP lemon juice
- Salt & pepper to taste
Method:
- Half any larger new potatoes and boil until tender (but not mushy!). Drain and transfer to an oven-proof dish or roasting tray.
- Trim the fennel bulb, cut into slices and add to the roasting tray along with a good glug of olive oil, salt, pepper, crushed garlic cloves and thyme. Mix to coat well.
- Roast at 200c until golden (approximately 1 hour), turning the contents of the tray halfway through.
- Serve drizzled with fresh lemon juice.
Go the extra mile and start introducing seasonal herbs and spices to your kitchen too! Check out 8 herbs for gut health + 6 creative ways to add them to your day for inspiration.
Any questions? Contact one of our Nutritional Therapists via live chat, weekdays from 8 am to 8 pm.
References
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