Seasonal Foods

Seasonality of food refers to the times of year when the harvest or the flavor of a given type of food is at its peak. This means eating foods at the same time of the year that they are grown. The food's peak harvest time usually coincides with when its flavor is at its best. Both chefs and health experts agree that people should eat seasonally for many reasons. Some reasons include:

• It's healthier

• It's cheaper

• It supports local farmers

• Food tastes better

• Food is fresher

• More varied diet

Eating, and therefore cooking seasonally can also enhance an individual's culinary skills, but how do we know what is in season? The simple way is to note which fruit is in abundance at a lower cost in the supermarket. For example, during summer months, watermelon can be found everywhere, but come winter, there aren't many in sight. Another simple way is to use the chart I have provided below. For more exotic or less known items, like bok choy or endives, you can look up ways they are used and tasty recipes you can try. Check out my next post where I give instructions on how to cook with kale.

Winter	Spring	Summer	Fall
Apples	Apples	Apples	Apples
Avocado	Apricots	Apricots	Bananas
Bananas	Asparagus	Avocado	Beets
Beets	Avocado	Bananas	Bell Peppers
Brussels Sprouts	Bananas	Beets	Broccoli
Cabbage	Broccoli	Bell Peppers	Brussels Sprouts
Carrots	Cabbage	Blackberries	Cabbage
Celery	Carrots	Blueberries	Carrots
Grapefruit	Celery	Carrots	Cauliflower
Kale	Collard Greens	Cantaloupe/ Muskmelons	Celery
Leeks	Garlic	Celery	Collard Greens
Lemons	Greens (cooking)	Cherries	Cranberries
Onions	Lettuce	Collard Greens	Garlic
Oranges	Mushrooms	Corn	Ginger
Parsnips	Onions	Cucumbers	Grapes
Pears	Peas	Eggplant	Greens (cooking)
Pineapple	Pineapple	Garlic	Green Beans
Potatoes	Radishes	Green Beans	Kale
Pumpkins	Rhubarb	Honeydew Melon	Lettuce
Rutabagas	Spinach	Kiwifruit	Mangos
Sweet Potatoes and Yams	Strawberries	Lima Beans	Mushrooms
Turnips	Swiss Chard	Mangos	Onions
Winter Squash	Turnips	Nectarines	Parsnips
		Okra	Peas
		Peaches	Pears
		Plums	Pineapple
		Raspberries	Potatoes
		Strawberries	Pumpkins
		Summer Squash & Zucchini	Radishes
		Tomatillos	Raspberries
		Tomatoes	Rutabagas
		Watermelon	Spinach
			Sweet Potatoes and Yams
			Swiss Chard
			Turnips
			Winter Squash

I'd love to hear from you about the ways that you use seasonal foods in your daily diet. Here's wishing you happy cooking and healthy eating!