Why You Should Prefer Seasonal Produce?

Answer 1

In any season, there are bargains in the produce section of the market. They may not be the fruits and vegetables you automatically reach for, though. The trick to eating well on a budget is in being flexible at mealtime. The broader your list of acceptable ingredients, the easier and cheaper it will be to fill your cart with wholesome foods.

How to Master the Produce Department

Nowhere is the abundance of the world marketplace more apparent than in the fruit and vegetable aisles of your produce department. Many of the items you see are imported thousands of miles, but the luxury of having access to fresh strawberries in December comes at a price. High transport costs result in a higher price tag at the checkout-- and those pretty fruits may not be as nutritious as their in-season counterparts, largely because they were picked before fully ripening in order to transport well and artificially ripened at a holding warehouse (or in your market), using ethylene gas.

To get the best benefit from the fruits and vegetables you buy:

Buy fresh produce in season. Whether you're interested in more nutritious fare, more economical vegetables or greener options, buying produce in season will fit the bill. Start by paying attention to the fruit and vegetable varieties that appear as the seasons change. When you take advantage of April asparagus, June peaches, and the July tomato crop, you get the best each season has to offer.

Become a locavore. When you prefer buying locally grown foods, you reduce your carbon footprint and support your local economy.

Expand your repertoire. Your grandmother may have grown and used turnips in her soups, but chances are you don't. Developing a taste for lots of different types of fruits and vegetables makes good economic and nutritional sense. Check out some new recipes that call for the addition of ingredients like rutabagas, jicama, eggplant, kohlrabi and kale. These unsung heroes of the vegetable world are tasty and good for you.

Ask, ask, ask. The manager of the produce department in your local market probably knows volumes about the veggies and fruits he sells. If that star fruit looks too waxy or the kiwi offerings seem puny compared to what you're used to, ask about it. New plant strains are being produced every year, so don't feel intimidated. If you think you might want a nice melon for your fruit salad but don't know how to choose a ripe cantaloupe, ask.

Introduce your kids to lots of new foods. If your children are finicky eaters, one of the best ways to help broaden their horizons is to introduce them to lots of different foods. Children may taste sour and bitter flavors more strongly than adults (research on the topic is still ongoing), but that's no reason they can't start developing a love affair with sweet fruits early in life. Once they taste what nature has to offer, they'll be more likely to become food adventurers when they get older.