The Winter Solstice was just a few days ago, which means the coldest season of the year is officially upon us!! In my opinion, there is just about nothing better than being huddled under blankets by the fire drinking a cup of hot tea reading a great book (or kicking my mom's butt in a game of backgammon as I have been doing a lot lately)! Another thing I love about winter is that kale is finally in season here in Texas!!! If you have been following my blog for very long you have probably figured out by now that I am slightly obsessed with kale! I am a firm believer in eating foods based on when they naturally grow (aka when they are in season), and Winter certainly has some good foods!
Eating seasonally can be very beneficial for your health because foods that are in season are richer in nutrients. In order to get foods that are not in season, it is typically flown in from areas where it is easier to grow. Because of the transportation process needed to get the food to your local grocery stores, most produce has to be harvested long before it is ripe, so it never develops its full nutritional potential or its proper flavor (not to mention all of the added chemicals, waxes, and preservatives they use to make the food look nice by the time it reaches your supermarket).
The good news is that eating seasonally is also great for your bank account! The simple concept of supply-and-demand states that as the supply of an item increases, the cost decreases. This is exactly the case with food. Eating seasonally also typically means that you will be supporting your local farmers, something I am very passionate about! Farm food is real food!! You can check out a post I wrote about an amazing farm I volunteered at in Austin here.
Another benefit of eating seasonally is that you will ensure you are consuming a variety of produce, and variety is a nutritionist's favorite word! If you actually eat foods that are in season, every season, you can be sure that you are getting a multitude of different fruits and vegetables throughout the year, and therefore maximizing your nutrient intake.
Because seasonally available foods vary by region, I recommend using the Seasonal Food Guide to search for what foods grow in your state each month. Below I have included a list of just some of my favorite fruits and vegetables that are in season this Winter in Texas. For a more comprehensive list, see the link above.
Vegetables:
Beets
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Collard Greens
Jicama
Kale
Mushrooms
Spinach
Sweet Potatoes
Fruit:
Grapefruit
Lemons
Melons
Strawberries
Tangerines
Please comment below if you have any questions!!
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