It wasn’t all that long ago that eating with the seasons was just the way of life. After all, food that was grown locally and in season was all that was available.
Thanks to modern technology we’re now able to eat whatever we want whenever we want, which means blueberries in August and pumpkin at Christmas. Are we complaining? No sir. But there are still some major benefits that come with eating with the seasons – benefits to your health, the health of the plant, and to your wallet.
Keep on reading to find out more…
1. Saving money
Eating foods that are abundant and in season is a fantastic way to cut down on your grocery bills. Just think about how much the price of a punnet of blueberries or a bag of grapes fluctuates over the year!
When farmers have a whole glut of apples to sell, the cost of the produce goes down. When we buy produce that’s ‘out of season’ it’s usually sourced from a remote area of Australia with a different climate, or even from overseas. These have additional shipping and storage costs attached that push the price up. With winter coming, you’ll see the price of apples dropping as they head into season…
2. Better for your health
As a general rule, the sooner you eat your fruits and vegetables after picking, the higher in nutritional content they’ll be. This is particularly true for nutrients like Vitamin C, folate and beta-carotene which decline once the fruit or vegetable has been picked. Eating local, in-season fruits & vegetables is your best bet for maximising the nutritional value of your food.
Eating seasonally is also a cheat’s way to support your body with key nutrients during times of demand. For example, it’s no coincidence that citrus fruits, rich in Vitamin C, become abundant during winter time. Thank you Mother Nature.
Tip: Picked up a bunch of lemons, limes or oranges recently? With citrus in abundance, use Cookidoo® to search for ‘lemon’ or ‘orange’ under the ingredient search tool and you'll find hundreds of delicious recipes for inspiration.
3. Support local communities
Farmer’s markets are a fantastic way to reconnect communities to their food system. If you’re lucky enough to have one nearby, a farmer’s market is a great place to not only pick up seasonal produce, but also connect with the people who grew it. They can share invaluable tips on what’s in season, along with the best ways to store your produce to make it last longer.
Even if you’re shopping in supermarkets, buying in season usually means you’re supporting Australian made, and in turn, a local farmer.
Remember to pack your Thermomix® Enviro Bags – durable, sturdy and made from 100% recycled plastic bottles!
4. Better for the environment
Modern technology has blessed us with lots of tools and techniques to grow and farm produce all year long. But many of them aren’t the kindest to the environment. When you purchase foods in season it’s less likely that they’ve been subjected to heavy doses of fertiliser and pesticides which leach not only into your food, but also into the soil. Also… local produce = less transportation and less refrigeration, which further reduces the impact to the environment.
Keen to know what’s in season? Read our spring, summer and winter produce blogs to find out what’s in season and discover delicious recipes to put your produce to good use. Our Less waste, more food with Thermomix® cookbook also has a season produce guide along with pages and pages of information on how to cook, store, grow and enjoy your seasonal produce (not to mention all the fabulous new recipes too).
Some winter recipe inspiration for this season’s abundant produce – lemons, orange, pumpkin and cauliflower!
Find out more about Thermomix® TM6 and book a Thermomix® Demo with a Consultant to see it in action by clicking here.