How To Eat Locally And Seasonally?
Eating locally and seasonally is a rewarding lifestyle choice that benefits your health, the environment, and your taste buds. In this article, we will explore the many advantages of this approach and practical tips on how to incorporate it into our daily life.
Are you struggling to eat healthier and more sustainably? Eating locally and seasonally might be the solution for you! This comprehensive guide provides practical tips to seamlessly integrate local and seasonal eating into your life. Discover how this approach can boost your health, simplify meal planning, and enhance your enjoyment of fresh, vibrant foods, all while supporting your community and protecting the environment. Dive in to learn how simple changes can transform your diet and lifestyle.
Why eat locally and seasonally?
1. Higher nutrient content
You may wonder if eating seasonally is healthier. The answer is yes! As we are about to see, seasonal foods are fresher and more nutrient-dense, providing what your body needs at different times of the year. Did you know that fruits and vegetable lose nutrients quickly after being harvested? Indeed, within 3 days after harvest, most produce loses about 30% to 50% of their nutrients. You can learn more about that here.
Also, given the length of the food transport process, produce would have time to ripen to the point of starting to spoil. Making it less aesthetically appealing and therefore harder to sell. Which is why, for economic reasons, merchants buy fruits and vegetables that have been picked before ripening. However, food picked before maturity has not yet reached their optimum nutritional potential yet. By opting for local and seasonal food, we have access to freshly harvested produce that are so much richer in nutrients.
2. Better seasonal adaptation
In my opinion, the most mind-blowing advantage of eating locally and seasonally is that the nutritional properties of seasonal foods are adapted to our physiological needs for that season. How brilliant is that? For example, winter vegetables are often rich in vitamin C, helping to boost our immune system when we most need it.
Also, you will notice that summer fruits and vegetables have a rich water-component. Which is perfect to keep us hydrated in the hot months when we are prone to sweat, loosing more water. I dive deeper into this subject in my series of articles about how to eat locally and seasonally for each season.
3. Much better taste
Local and seasonal foods simply taste better. Have you ever tasted an imported strawberry in the middle of winter? Compare that to a delectable, fresh, vibrant local strawberry in the peak of the season. How delicious is that? When fresh produce is harvested at peak ripeness, it has so much more flavour. A much richer experience for the taste buds!
4. Cost-Effective
Seasonal foods are generally cheaper than out-of-season ones. When a fruit or vegetable is in abundance, prices drop due to lower storage and transportation costs. The rarer a product, the higher its cost. In contrast, when the market is full of the same product, merchants are more competitive and tend to lower their prices to attract more customers. So who wouldn't want a product that tastes better, is more nutritious, and is less expensive?
5. Environmental Benefits
Eating locally and seasonally offers numerous environmental benefits. Locally sourced food travels shorter distances from farm to table, significantly reducing the carbon footprint associated with transportation. For instance, the carbon footprint of imported food can be up to 10 times higher than that of locally produced food. On average, imported food travels about 2400 km (1500 miles), contributing to higher greenhouse gas emissions compared to locally produced food. This reduction in transportation not only cuts down on fuel consumption but also lessens the overall environmental impact.
Moreover, seasonal eating aligns with natural growing cycles, which often means fewer resources are required for production. For example, out-of-season produce typically needs more energy-intensive methods like heated greenhouses or long-distance shipping. By choosing locally grown, in-season foods, you can support more sustainable agricultural practices that are gentler on the environment. For more detailed information, you can refer to the USDA Economic Research Service report.
6. Supports Local Economy
Another advantage of buying local food is that it directly supports farmers and businesses in your community, contributing to economic stability and growth in your area. It also helps create jobs and contributes to economic stability. When you purchase from local farmers markets, you ensure that a larger portion of your money goes directly to the growers, rather than being siphoned off by intermediaries and large corporations. Also, supporting local agriculture promotes sustainable practices and a resilient food system, making communities more self-sufficient and less reliant on global supply chains.
7. Diverse Diet
One of the things that I love the most about eating seasonally, is that I enjoy to a whole new level the fruits and vegetables available at each season. When we have access to something for a limited time, it creates a genuine excitement for it, as well as true appreciation for what we eat. I see it as an opportunity to make the most of each produce available.
Seasonal eating also encourages dietary variety, introducing a wide range of fruits and vegetables throughout the year. This is particularly good for our gut, and our body’s overall wellbeing. The kind of food I eat in summer is completely different from what I eat in the depths of winter. It offers me a whole range of varied culinary experiences, each very different from the next, making every dish even more delectable. You can never get bored as you get to eat certain things just for a while.
How to Eat Locally and Seasonally
Now that we have a better understanding of the benefits of local and seasonal eating, let's see how to do it concretely!
Visit your local farmers markets
Exploring local farmers markets is one of the best ways to find the freshest produce. These markets offer a direct connection to local farmers, ensuring that the fruits and vegetables you purchase are harvested at their peak ripeness. This not only guarantees superior taste and nutritional value but also supports local agriculture and the community's economy.
Another advantage is that you can chat directly with the farmers, getting to know how sustainably they grow their crops. Many of those small family farms can’t afford an organic certification, but actually have great environmental practices.
Moreover, many local farmers markets now offer weekly delivery options, making it even more convenient to access fresh, seasonal produce. I have no words to describe how life-changing it is! At-home delivery service from local and sustainable farms is by far my favourite way to shop for seasonal frood. Here in the province of Quebec (Canada), we have been using Lufa Farms (not sponsored, though I wouldn’t say no to it), to deliver weekly fresh, seasonal food baskets right to our door. Allowing us to enjoy the benefits of local and seasonal eating with minimal effort.
How to shop seasonally at the grocery store?
Not everyone has access to a farmers market or a local produce at-home delivery. But do not lose hope! You can absolutely find local and seasonal foods at your grocery stores. No need to go out of your way to try to incorporate this new habit into your life. You just have to know a few simple tips, and you’re good to go!
The easiest way is to seek out signs that showcase locally sourced products. Many grocery stores take pride in promoting these offerings, guiding customers towards sustainable and community-supported choices. Alternatively, you can also look for the origin of the produce on the labels. Often, grocers transparently label the country or province/state of origin. If the produce is grown locally, it’s more than likely that it’s seasonal as well. Now, if you want to be certain that something is in season, you may want to have a good idea of what grows when… Which brings us to the next point.
Use a seasonal produce calendar
A super handy thing you can do is to keep a calendar that lists fruits and vegetables for each season in your local area. Having a seasonal produce calendar at your fingertips can revolutionize the way you plan your shopping and meals. This invaluable tool helps you stay attuned to what’s currently in season, ensuring that your meals are always fresh, flavourful, and in harmony with nature’s cycles.
By consulting your calendar, you can effortlessly align your grocery list with the produces that are at their peak, making your culinary creations not only more delicious but also more sustainable. You can do a quick Google search with “seasonal food calendar [insert your country]” and browse through a couple of websites to find what you’re looking for. If you like aesthetically-pleasing things, you can also invest in a nice looking seasonal food calendar. Etsy is a nice place to search for gorgeous seasonal food calendars, using the same keywords as mentioned earlier.
Here are a few resources to find what’s in season near you:
Create your own collection of seasonal recipes
The best way to eat seasonally is to cook your meals from scratch, using seasonal ingredients. Embracing the art of cooking with seasonal ingredients allows you to revel in the freshness and vitality of nature's bounty. A good tip to make that easier for you is to gather and save recipes that focus on seasonal ingredients. By building a personal repertoire of seasonal recipes, you can seamlessly adapt your meals to the rhythms of nature. Also, having a well-rounded list of your favourite seasonal recipes will save so much time and mental space, making your life so much easier.
I personally love to collect nice-looking dish ideas on Pinterest that I organize in different boards by seasons. That way, I can easily and visually have an array of fresh ideas to try in the kitchen when the season comes. Then, I tend to adapt the recipes to my taste as I try them, making them my own and adding them to my personal collection if they pass the taste test. You can collect ideas from all sorts of places: saving interesting recipes in a folder on Instagram, using seasonal eating cookbooks, or even family recipes.
Another good practice is to adapt your favourite or most common dishes to the flavours of the season by simply swapping your produces. You could do that with many pasta dishes, lasagnas, quiches, gratins, Buddha bowls, and so much more. As each season unfolds, you'll find joy in experimenting with new ingredients and discovering unique flavours, making your culinary journey a perpetual adventure… or a comfortable place where you get back to your favourite recipes time and time again as the seasons come and goes.
Grow your own food
Consider growing your own food, even if it’s just a couple of herbs in pots by your windowsill. Even that can be so gratifying. If space and desire allow, start a small garden to cultivate your own produce. Growing your own food offers the freshest possible produce and transforms your food experience into a deeply rewarding hobby. Whether you have a sprawling garden or a modest collection of potted plants, the act of nurturing your own herbs and vegetables brings a sense of accomplishment and connection to nature. This practice ensures a steady supply of fresh, healthy ingredients right at your fingertips, enriching both your meals and your soul.
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Eating locally and seasonally brings a multitude of benefits to your health, your palate, and the planet. With a higher nutrient content and incredible freshness of seasonal produce, your meals are not only healthier but also more flavourful. By aligning your diet with the seasons, you provide your body with the exact nutrients it needs at different times of the year, helping you adapt and thrive throughout the changing seasons. Additionally, this practice is cost-effective, reduces carbon emissions, supports the local economy, and introduces a delightful variety to your diet, making each meal an exciting culinary experience.
I encourage you to start incorporating these practices into your daily life. Visit a local farmers market to explore the freshest produce, or begin a seasonal recipe collection to savour the flavours of each season. By making these small changes, you can enjoy a healthier and truly enchanting lifestyle. Realigning your body, mind and soul to the pace of nature.
With infinite love and gratitude,
- Anne 🧚♀️
***Which tip would make your life easier? Did it help to change your perspective on seasonal eating? Have you been surprised by any of them?***