Why should you eat foods that are in season? Here are a few reasons that I prefer to eat in season if I can. 

Cheaper

I’m not going to lie, this is probably my number one reason for eating seasonally.  Who wants to buy $8 organic strawberries in December? Not me! Most of the time when I’m grocery shopping I’ll stick to seasonal produce because it’s much more cost effective. 

Tastes better

When you’re eating a piece of fruit in its prime ripening period, it’s going to be FULL of flavor vs. when they are bred out of season. There have been studies on this. 

Also, our bodies just crave certain foods during specific times of the year and there’s a reason for that. Some of it is habit and tradition and some of it can be our bodies telling us it needs to warm up or cool down by eating warming or cooling foods. Tuning in and listening to what our bodies need is so important. 

Environmentally friendly 

When you shop local and seasonal, it has a lesser impact on the environment. Typically, food will ship from all over the world! Imagine how much of an impact on the environment fish or produce from South America would make versus a farmer who is an hour away from you. 

Finding a local farm is fantastic because you’re really shopping small, supporting your local economy, learning from your farmer, and eating (usually) organic while doing so. I love belonging to a CSA (community supported agriculture) because my farmer does this job for me. They send me the local, in season produce each week. It’s even better in the warmer months when farmer’s markets are in full swing. I walk to my neighborhood farmer’s market every Saturday. Exercise, sunshine, community and a happier planet. 

More nutritious

It has been proven that foods grown in their appropriate season are more nutrient dense. This has been studied not only with produce but also with dairy products. The more natural a food is made, the better it is for you. You don’t want all those ripening agents, chemicals, wax preservatives added to the food you consume.