Biting a summer peach makes you satisfied with the juicy flavor trickles in your mouth. Do you agree with me that when you eat seasonal fruits or vegetables, you’ll find it tastes a lot better? What makes this summer treats so tasty? They’re in season. We know that eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is the foundation of a healthy diet. Every day, you go to buy food in modern-day grocery stores where you can find any kind of fruits and vegetables of any season. Of course, life is full of choices but a look into our planet while putting food on your table. What’s the best choice?
What are Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables?
Seasonal food means that at that time of year it is at, they have its peak in flavor or harvest.
Local food is grown locally which has the high freshness of the food and often sold directly to consumers through farmers’ markets, roadside stands, and community-supported agriculture.
Nowadays, local products may show up in supermarkets, restaurants, and schools, and a growing number of major food retailers are introducing local food sourcing initiatives.
Savvy consumers tend toward healthier, fresher foods that are also gentle on the environment. So eating seasonally and locally are becoming foods movement that gains popularity throughout the world.
What is Organic Food?
Taste and flavor have been the main contributors to today’s organic trend. As consumers experimented, typically with organic fruits and vegetables. Many consumers think organic food is safer, healthier, tastier and better for the environment than regular food. So what are the differences between organic and non-organic foods?
According to, USDA definition of organic food as following
Organic food is produced by using renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; chemical fertilizer or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation.
Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables – Good Choice for the Environment
Eating seasonally includes eating fresh fruits and vegetables that haven’t been processed or transported long distances.
Prevent Vitamin Loss
Processed food includes things such as tinning, blanching and dehydrating foods to enhance their life span. Food processing involves heating food very quickly with steam or water and this often removes a number of vitamins in the food.
This generally occurs before food is tinned or frozen. Freezing processes themselves do not cause too much damage but blanching that occurs beforehand that does the harm.
Therefore, it is best to eat seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables whenever it is possible. What is certain that is an in-season piece of fruit or vegetable will taste better too!
Support the Local Farmers
Choosing fruits and vegetables that are in-season also includes support for local farmers and producers. Your money goes directly to local farmers and encourages a much more sustainable way of eating. Most importantly, farmer’s markets always have friendly people who know about your food and are ready to answer your questions. In contrast, the methods used by supermarkets to provide you with out of season foods all year round cause harm to the environment. That can be food is moved around the world before being on your hand.
Save Money
Foods in season tend to cost less as well. The increase in the supply of particular fruits and vegetables driving the price down. It means you can buy more at a lower price and save a small amount of money. That might be one or two dollars but in the long run, it worth it.
Switch to Eco-friendly Eating
Seasonal eating not only supports the local growers, but it actually benefits the environment. It decreases the eco-footprint of the process of shipping foods across large distances and the energy used to refrigerate them. Seasonal fruit or vegetable is also easier to preserve in its own season, using fewer chemicals, less energy is used to create the temperature and surrounding environment it needs.
However, experts have debated over organic versus conventional farming impacts making this matter more complicated. Some experts worry that the term “organic food” is not always properly regulated.
Some agribusinesses can farm uniformly without any biodiversity led to the weakening of ecologically beneficial standards. While they are not using additional land area or chemical inputs like in conventional farming, but they are using other really strong inputs like sulfur. This can be harmful to farm workers.
Conclusion
Eating seasonally gives you something to look forward to each season, enjoy the peak of nutrients, as well as good taste, compared to produce picked green to sustain long-distance shipping. So eating local produce in season, we enjoy food that nurtures both us and our environment.