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Nature is well-designed and offers different fruits and vegetables each season based on their benefits. With many fruits and vegetables available year-round, this is something we tend to forget. 1 Seasonal fruits and vegetables not only meet our nutritional needs more effectively, but they also taste better! Here are some reasons why seasonal fruits and vegetables should be part of your daily diet.
Much better products
This isn't a marketing ploy: seasonal produce tastes much better, and there's a fundamental reason for this. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are fresher, sweeter, and fully ripe. This is because they were picked or harvested at the right time, after ripening naturally in the soil, on the vine, or on the tree, and therefore have more flavor. When we eat food that's not in season, it's been harvested early and refrigerated so it doesn't spoil during transport. Refrigerators are convenient for storing food but are the enemy of taste, as they systematically reduce the sugar content of the product, which is specific to fully ripened foods. Once they arrive at their destination, the produce is usually heated to artificially ripen it. This significantly reduces the flavor and eliminates that pleasant sweetness found only in freshly harvested produce. Out-of-season food can taste floury, stringy, or even bland compared to seasonal produce.
Greater nutritional value
Seasonal fruits and vegetables are not only much tastier, but they also have better nutritional value. Eating freshly harvested produce allows you to absorb more nutrients; indeed, food stored for long periods loses its nutritional value. This is particularly true of vitamin C, vitamin B9, and carotene content, which will rapidly decline in produce not consumed shortly after harvest. Sometimes large suppliers stock out-of-season fruits and vegetables that have been gassed, irradiated (with radiation) to kill germs, and preserved in wax to keep them fresh and extend their shelf life. Obviously, none of this is good for our health.
Providing for your body's natural needs
Eating seasonal foods will help your body heal and detoxify more effectively and naturally. In winter, for example, nature offers many citrus fruits rich in vitamin C that help us ward off colds and flu, as well as several varieties of squash, which contain vitamin A and help strengthen our immune systems in preparation for the change of seasons. It's often during the changing seasons that we get sick, so it's recommended to eat wild garlic, chives, and leeks as spring approaches, as they all contain natural antibiotics. As for summer, we see the emergence of many stone fruits that offer an extra dose of beta-carotenes and other carotenoids that help protect us from the sun.
Preserve the environment and support the local economy
Buying more locally grown fruits and vegetables helps protect small local farms from the financial pressures that push them to expand and develop for industrial or commercial purposes. Preserving these farms also provides animals, insects, and birds with a place to live and thrive. 2 Less transportation means fewer food miles, which means less fossil fuel consumption and fewer carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. Plus, because local farmers don't have the high transportation and distribution costs that large agricultural companies do, they can keep more of their profits. Helping small, local businesses thrive
Eating a variety of fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables is always excellent for our health and far superior to processed foods and artificial colors and flavors. To reap all the benefits, make seasonal fruits and vegetables the centerpiece of your menu.