As reported by the National Resources Defense Council, most produce grown in the United States travels an average of 1,500 miles before being sold. Such practice requires that fruits and vegetables be picked before they’re naturally ripened in order to survive the journey, and frequently commercial suppliers are more concerned with the appearance and consistency of size of produce than nutritional content. As a result, out of season produce offers less nutritional value, lacks in taste and quality, and often comes at a steep ecological price. Alternatively, choosing freshly harvested produce supports a healthy diet and lessens some of the adverse global effects caused by packaging and shipping produce long distances.
The Benefits of Local, Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables
There are many benefits to eating foods that are naturally available in a given season and location:
- In-season produce provides optimal nutritional value.
- Eating seasonally encourages a diverse diet.
- Buying in-season, local produce supports your local economy.
- Buying fruits and vegetables during their natural season is cheaper.
- Buying local produce reduces the pollution caused by shipping, packaging, and storing fruits and vegetables.
Varying your diet to align with the season’s bounty will encourage you to try foods that may be otherwise outside your comfort zone. Though fruits may not be as enticing during the colder autumn and winter months as they are during the sweltering summer, seasonal winter fruits contain an abundance of vitamin C, iron, fiber, folate and other nutrients and still rival their summer siblings in flavor. Similarly, vegetables harvested in winter abound with vitamins A and C, fiber, potassium and more.
Winter Fruits and Vegetables
Winter Fruits include:
- Bananas
- Pears
- Blood oranges
- Persimmons
- Clementines
- Pomegranates
- Cranberries
- Pummelos
- Grapefruit
- Rhubarb
- Kiwi
- Satsuma oranges
- Kumquats
- Passion fruit
- Tangerines
Winter Vegetables include:
- Artichokes
- Lettuce
- Bok choy
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Radishes
- Rhubarb
- Snow peas
- Winter squash
- Sweet potatoes
- Celery root
- Watercress
- Kale
- Rutabaga
- Parsnips
Sources for Finding Local, Seasonal Produce
Health.discovery.com provides a fall and winter produce guide including nutritional information, how to pick, store and prepare each fruit/vegetable, and links to recipes.
The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) offers an online directory of local produce classified by state and season.
LocalHarvest.org encourages buying local produce and reinstating the relationship between food and the land. A CSA (community supported agriculture) box is a great option for ensuring that produce is both local and seasonal, plus CSA boxes can be delivered to your doorstep. LocalHarvest.org includes a directory of CSA farms.
Sustainabletable.org addresses issues of sustainability and offers a plethora of resources and information.
Making the Choice
Next time you’re tempted to reach for that out-of-season nectarine from Chile or papaya from Brazil, consider the seasonal produce available from your local region and savor the nutritional and ecological benefits of eating with the seasons.
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