Why Eat Seasonally?
Why to eat seasonally - depends on what you value most. Seasonal food is picked and packed fresh of the farm, so it's bursting with flavour and contains the maximum nutrients. Because seasonal produce doesn’t travel lengthy supply chains it also reduces environmental impact. Less people and processes significantly reduce waste and cost.
What’s more, when you buy from local farms, you can feel good about supporting our growers and the local economy.
Delicious fruits & vegetables in season now:
Fresh Tastes Better
The major benefit of seasonal fruit and veg is freshness. When something is fresh off the tree with all the nutrients intact, you get to experience the full flavour too. The longer it takes for produce to reach to your table, the more it loses – like colour, texture, nutrients, and flavour.
Since it comes from local farms, it can reach your table within 24 hours from being picked. That is not possible for produce that has to reach you through a lengthy supply chain (or even worse, if it’s imported).
Fruits and vegetables start to lose their nutritional value from the moment they are picked. Vitamins such as C, E, A, and some B vitamins deteriorate with each passing day. Other factors such as the exposure to climate conditions, artificial lights and temperature changes in storage facilities further contribute to the loss of nutritional value.
That’s not to say that there is no nutrition left in produce that’s been on the shelf for a week or two. You still get some nutrients, just not the same extent as when they are first picked.
In addition to reaching your table sooner and fresher, local farms allow produce to ripen longer or fully ripen on the tree, which increases their nutritional value and flavour even more.
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SELF Seasonal Food Facts:
- Microwaving food alters its chemical make-up, making it equally as hard to digest as those foods full of preservatives and additives.
- Fresh produce does not last long, unless it’s loaded with preservatives. The fresher the fruit and veg, the longer it lasts – naturally!
A consistent diet that includes fresh seasonal fruit and veg will provide you with more energy, physically and emotionally, and a healthier lifestyle.
Remember, what’s more important? Food that will last, or lasting nutrition?
