I know you’ve read the advice as much as I have; in a book, a magazine article. I’ve even shared the advice a time or two. Eat in-season.
On the surface it is easy to determine what this term means. Eat foods when they are at their freshest, when they are harvested in your particular part of the country or world. Why? Well, because this is when they are at their flavor and nutritional peak. So we strive to eat asparagus and berries in the spring, squash and green beans as the summer rolls on and sweet potatoes in the autumn.
If you live in an area with access to CSAs and farmer’s markets it is easy to shoot for this goal of eating in-season, but it is likely that we eat in season in combination with eating out of season. There is likely something we pick up from the supermarket during an off season just to create a particular recipe.
However, what if one chose to eat only in-season? What exactly would this mean, and more importantly how would it affect one from a nutritional and health standpoint?
This is something that has been on my mind a lot lately. I really admire those people I follow who get a CSA box all summer and eat only from that box creating wonderful recipes. That is truly part of the eating in-season equation. And let me say this first off, the idea of eating in-season where I live now is a bit of a joke. While specific fruits like mangos and guava, and veggies such as corn do have a distinct season here, most everything else grows year around. Eating in-season in southern Brazil involves no sacrifice.
I’m looking at choosing this eating style when I return to the US though. I will be back in a place that has 4 seasons and the availability of fresh foods varies widely to the point of becoming non-existent in the winter. However, my belief in the importance of eating in-season is growing by the day. It is often better for the environment and honestly a bit of a challenge when it comes to cooking; one which I am up for.
As someone who cares a whole lot about nutrition though, this is where my concern lies whether it is well grounded concern or not. That is what I’m trying to figure out. In the summer, an in-season diet is obviously full of produce. Those recommendations to eat a variety of fruits and veggies in a variety of colors is easy fulfilled, but as months linger on what will happen?
Eating in season for me, in my area, will likely mean berries as a major fruit source in the spring and summer followed by lots of apples in the autumn. In addition, through autumn and winter long lasting potatoes, sweet potatoes, pomegranates, cranberries and squash will be the main produce sources, in addition to anything frozen from fresh throughout the summer. Yes, I do feel that self- frozen from fresh is an option with in-season eating, but even then you don’t have access to all of summer’s produce selection.
Can the body sustain itself nutritionally on only what is offered in-season? Well, I’m not sure what science would say with all its recommendations, but my gut tells me yes. I’m beginning to believe that this is what we were meant to do, and while I don’t believe that all advancements when it comes to food (regarding its growth and distribution) has been bad, maybe I’d be better off sticking to an in-season schedule.
I’m not saying I won’t ever buy a bland tasting strawberry in autumn again for a recipe, but it will not happen very often. This idea of true in-season eating and only in-seasoning is becoming more appealing to me. I’m not sure if it is an issue of the environment, health or just a challenge, but it is something I’m planning to focus on in a few months when we leave Brazil and return to the US.
How do you feel about only in-season eating?
It’s a little harder when you live in a place like MN. We are trying really hard to increase the amount of food we eat that is seasonal & local. Does that mean we never eat bananas, no that is something we are not ready to give up but that does mean we will wait until August for sweet corn & freeze a bunch for winter.
I think I mentioned this book to you before, but you’ve got to read “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver! They go live in Virginia and eat only local, in-season food, much of which they grow themselves. She talks about getting creative with produce and preparing for winter during summer like you mentioned through freezing and canning. It was a really good read, especially if you’re planning on making a switch like this.
One thing I do like about living in Chile is that it’s easier for me to know what’s in-season. Imported off-season produce is available at larger grocery stores, but in the ferias, it’s pretty much just local, seasonal stuff with the exception of tomatoes which I guess are grown in hot houses so that they’re available year-round as they’re such a staple (although nothing beats the really good summer tomatoes).
That will be a challenge but I’m sure you can do it! It makes perfect sense, nature has cycles and I believe they are to our benefit. I recently heard about a study showing that Lycopene can actually protect your skin from the sun. How interesting that tomatoes grow so well in the summer!
Hi Lori I think this is an excellent post, and I’ve thought about this a lot too. I began subscribing to a CSA last fall and it really helped me to learn how to eat in season, and appreciate the amazing flavors of seasonal foods. Honestly, once you have an heirloom tomato fresh out of the garden, you will never buy out of season again. I do still buy bananas though….and I’m ok with that.
As someone else mentioned, “Animal Vegetable Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver also really inspired me. Obviously not everyone is in a position or able to access fresh, local food, but if you can I definitely recommend it.
kat – Judging from your blog you all do a great job of eating seasonally. I’m thinking citrus fruit will be my hang up. 🙂
Emily – Yes! I have to read that book! I looked for it at the library when I was in the US and they didn’t have it so I’ll have to get to it this winter. I know what you mean. Brazil has really taught me a lot about seasonal produce. In addition, imported items are much more noticeable, mostly from Argentina and the north of Brazil. They almost advertise it here where in the US it is almost as if they hide it.
Mrs H – Yes, I think nature has a one up on us with this topic. 🙂 It does really make more sense.
Caitlin – Thanks! I’ve always had great access to fresh foods in the summer via my dad who is a huge gardner. However, we are planning on joining CSA for next year when we are back in the US for sure. Then when I get back into a house hopefully I can have a garden again. 🙂
Great post! I feel like this one is a constant struggle. Even for those of who live in CA. I may know those strawberries aren’t fresh but sometimes you just want one!
I don’t remember where I read it, but I do recall hearing about the health benefits of eating seasonally as well. After all, the environment does a pretty good job of knowing what we should have when!
I’m going NUTS right now for the fresh berries 😀 But I would be so sad to not be able to eat food when it’s not in season… our winters are brutal.
Seriously, to eat seasonally and locally is equivalent of starving in the Northeast winters. Oh, I know i could can and preserve and keep squash and cabbage in the cellar…but seriously. I think that, like you said, it’s a good idea to consider but I’m not likely to make it a hard and fast rule.
I do love my CSA box though! And this summer I have to wonder who is buying butternut squash at Whole Foods when there is asparagus and kale galore, nice and fresh!
I’d love to eat in season, but I live in Minnesota. I’d be eating nothing in the winter.
But I try to eat as locally as I can in the summer.
Great post! I admit to be a bit spoiled here in that there is a lot of produce grown at least in small qauntities pretty much year round–fresh, delicious tomato, avocado, apple bananas and asparagus for example. The flip side of that is 52 weeks of kale and chard in my CSA box that gets a bit boring. I try to eat as locally and as in-season as possible but there are times I can’t resist “mainland” fruits like berries, stone fruit and even apples that I can’t get locally. I try to make those items the exceptionand local produce the rule. An interesting subject for sure!
Amy – I think the first time I really read about it was in the French Women Don’t Get Fat book. At that point I was somewhat familiar with the idea, but that took it to a new level for me.
Sagan, Michelle & Alison – I understand what you mean with the winters. While we don’t get a ton of snow each year in KY, there definitely isn’t any growing going on. I guess that is why I brought up the idea in the first place. Can one sustain the body nutritionally on root vegetables like potatoes or winter squash which can last through the winter? It might get boring, but it could be possible. It is more something to think about from me and a goal than anything else.
Deb – I know what you mean. I go through the same thing even here in Brazil. I have access to all kinds of local fruits, but I still crave the blueberries and cranberries from home.
I find that the most successful restaurants are the ones that serve seasonal (and local) ingredients. I am a huge believer in seasonal eating also and so lucky to have Wegmans – they of course have everything but also a lot of seasonal produce (and often from local farms too which is nice).
I guess how hard it is to eat in season depends on how you define local. I live in a “food dessert.” Our winters are so long and our soil so rocky that not much really grows in the mountain valley I live in. So, local for me encompasses many, many hundreds of miles. Venders at our local farmers market proudly sell produce from a couple of states over – and I still consider that to be local eating. Otherwise it would be lettuce and greens most of the year here.
We are not total in-season eaters, but I think that we naturally gravitate toward eating that way. Produce just tastes better when it’s in season. So, we munch on apples and oranges in the fall and winter and switch to strawberries and watermelon and the abundance of fruits in the summer.
But there are always fruits that are definitely not local that we enjoy year round – like grapes and bananas. If we were truly going local and seasonal, I know that we would have to give those up. We’re not. It’s a nice idea, but one that I am not ready to pull off – especially as I have picky little ones. I’m pathetically happy to feed my kids whatever fruit or vegetable (within reason) that they will actually eat year round.
I’m your third Minnesota comment! 😎 While I like the concept of seasonal eating, there are two points that come to mind:
1) If we are talking about seasonal eating historically, then we have to consider that one reason people ate seasonally was because they had no alternatives! The distribution system that we now have simply didn’t exist. Arguably, the ability to access produce that can’t be grown in certain locales during certain seasons has allowed us to maintain a varied diet that is healthier than one limited by climate and geography;
2) Immigrant populations now exist in most areas of the country and native foods are integral in the process of cultural transition as well as in maintaining cultural identities. But many of these cuisines are from regions whose agriculture may be way different from where they now live (e.g. Somalis in Mpls). Can we reconcile eating ‘locally’ and ‘seasonally’ with eating ‘culturally’?
[Sigh] Who ever thinks that food choice is simple (“What should I eat?”) needs to spend a bit of time in my brain – with all these issues to consider, it’s no wonder I’m ‘tangled’!
I try to eat in season when I can. Of course the summer is easy, but winter can be tricky in Utah. We try to freeze what we can and buy citrus and other fruits/veggies that are more “in season” in the winter. It is hard to buy local produce though. I wish it was easier!
I too, like some of your other readers, was inspired by Kingsolver’s book (a huge fan of her fiction as well!). It should be noted that she did leave her home in Tucson, AZ to go to Virginia to even attempt living off her land and eating seasonally.
Eating in-season means different “sacrifices” for different people. When living in California it was so easy to eat local, in-season, organic, etc – ticking all the boxes. Here in the UK I’d be stuck with parsnips all winter long…
Sometimes imports from far away countries are less carbon impacting than locally grown things (air miles are a tiny percent of food miles – most food miles comes from trucking it from ports to grocery stores and us driving to the stores).
Veg and Fruit boxes in the UK are often supplemented with things grown in other countries, because local only would cut so many things out of the box.
That being said – the flavor and nutritional content can not be beat when something is grown in season and organically. I would forgo a tasteless peach imported from god knows where in the wintertime, just as I would a watery tomato (its British, its local, and its in “season”), but forced to grow as the climate does not really support it. In-season + indigenous is the way to go if possible!
Such a thought-provoking topic, Lori.
I guess I do a reasonable amount of seasonal/local eating – more so in summer when I have some of my own fruit and veg from the garden. I do try to extend the life of some of the things I grow through canning/preserving but it would be disingenuous of me to say that this was done through a desire to continue eating locally through the winter. It has far more to do with the fact that I simply love pickles and jam (not necessarily at the same time 🙂 )
As gastroanthropologist pointed out, eating seasonally in this part of the world in winter would involve a lot of parsnips and would necessitate a lot of creativity, not to mention advance planning in the preserves department. Nutritionally, though, I suspect you’re right and that you probably could get by reasonably well on what was truly locally available.
As for making a really serious attempt at restricting myself to eating both seasonally and locally, when I start to think of some of the things that would be out, like bananas and citrus fruits, I shudder…
I have made the commitment this summer to do all my shopping at the various farmers markets around town, for my own eating choices a least. I do need to go a little further than my own province (or country) if I am preparing a meal for a cooking class or workshop.
I think it is important for many reasons- primarily to support the farmers and local food economy, to be a part of the community of action that turns up at the market, and I just prefer shopping outside.
5 Star Foodie – It is so nice to be in a place with access. It is certainly something I won’t take for granted again.
cathy – You bring up a great points both with your location and the kids. Local is different for everyone and can encompass many more miles for some people as you mentioned. I also expect it is a whole new ball game when you are trying to get kids to consume produce of any kinds.
TN – Our brains definitely need to meet sometime. 🙂 You bring up some great points that keep me going back and forth. The issue of having a healthier diet not based on climate and geography is one area that I agree with. Then at the same time many people that are into nourishing food are trying to “go back” to the way their great grandma used to cook. Well, great grandma had a lot less access locally and imported. It is so much to think about!! 🙂
Maria – It seems like it should be easier, doesn’t it? I need to get better about preserving foods. It is something I plan to work on throughout the next year.
gastroanthro – I didn’t know that about the book. That is interesting about the location change. Also, very interesting about the carbon during transport. I have to admit my knowledge is limited on those specifics. I need to learn more. Thanks for sharing that. I agree with you about the source and getting it as often as possible.
Daily Spud – I like pickles and jam (seperately) too. 🙂 I do wonder if I could go without some standards in my diet like you mention or if I even want to. Perhaps what everyone is saying regarding the changes in availability in trasport isn’t quite so bad. It is something I think about a lot.
Meghan – That is a great goal and I really enjoy shopping outside as well. I do love our ability to get imported foods in the US. It is something I’ve missed so much since being in Brazil. The availability of any ingredient under the sun to make Thai, Indian, Caribbean and many other types of cuisine is a true blessing. I guess I need to think about that more. I always attribute in season to produce, but I know I can’t go 100% local b/c I like cooking with those ethnic ingredients.