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Writer's pictureRose Millson

Benefits of Eating Seasonally

Updated: Sep 15, 2023

Eating With The Earth


Health Benefits of Eating Seasonally and Locally

Seasonal Eating means that you're eating only in season fruits and vegetables. Certain produce are in season during different times of the year due to different weather and growing conditions. What foods are considered in season will vary based on your location. Seasonal eating is difficult to do 100% of the time, so most people strive to eat seasonally as much as possible. There are also many health and environmental benefits to eating seasonally.


1) Healthy Gut

As the foods you eat change with the seasons, you feed a variety of beneficial bacteria in your gut, leading to a diverse microbiome. 1



2) More Nutrients

When fruits and vegetables are harvested, their cells are still alive, active and producing nutrients. The sooner you eat fruits and vegetables from when they're harvested, the more alive they are. In other words, they are more metabolically active and therefore producing more nutrients. When you eat seasonally, the fruits and vegetables have more nutrients and therefore health benefits. 2



3) Environmental

Out of season produce requires extra transportation, often from states or countries, to sell in local stores. The additional transportation contributes to greenhouse gases, which harms the planet in numerous ways. In contrast, food typically travels a much shorter distance when eating seasonally. 3



4) Economical

Eating seasonal produce is typically much cheaper than when it’s not in season. 4



5) Connect

Eating seasonally can help you feel more connected to nature and the earth. Additionally, if you eat locally it's a great way to get connected to your community.




How to know what’s in season where I live?

There are many ways to learn what produce are in season where you live. You can look it up online, or you may be able to find it on your State’s Department of Agriculture Page. One of my favorite ways is to go to your local Farmer’s Market or use this seasonal food guide. It shows you what foods are in season by state and month.


Eating seasonally has many benefits and isn’t something that you need to do all the time to receive the benefits. Remember, it’s not about being perfect, it’s about making an effort when possible.




 




1*

Davenport, E. R., Mizrahi-Man, O., Michelini, K., Barreiro, L. B., Ober, C., & Gilad, Y. (2014). Seasonal variation in human gut microbiome

composition. PLoS One 9(3), e90731. Retrieved from doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0090731


2*

Goodspeed, D., Liu, J. D., Chehab, E. W., Sheng, Z., Francisco, M., Kliebenstein, D. J., & Braam, J. (2013). Postharvest circadian

entrainment enhances crop pest resistance and phytochemical cycling. Curr Biol 23(13), 1235–1241. Retrieved from

doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2013.05.034


3*

University of Maryland Medical System. (2022, April 5). The Benefits of Seasonal Eating. Health.


4*

Mayo Clinic. (2022). Picked at Their Peak: The Benefits of Choosing—and Eating—Seasonal Produce.

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