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!

Safe Snacks

Who doesn’t like to snack? Many of us do; unfortunately, snacks can sometimes be the worst enemy of individuals with diabetes. Having to pay close attention to their blood sugar levels, what most of us would consider a good snack can be harmful to the diabetic. For example, a banana is a hearty innocent snack; however, high levels of natural sugar can make it dangerous to an individual with type 1 diabetes. Here is a list of American Heart Association approved snacks for people who are living with the chronic illness.

•          Fresh fruit
•          Fresh vegetables
•          Nonfat or low-fat yogurt
•          Cottage cheese
•          Reduced-fat cheese
•          Fat-free refried beans
•          Canned tuna or salmon
•          Instant oatmeal or quick oats
•          Whole grain cereal (unsweetened)
•          Pasta (try whole wheat)
•          100% whole wheat bread or pita bread
•          Dried fruit
•          Unsalted nuts
•          Natural peanut butter or another nut butter
•          Seeds (sunflower, flax)
•          Popcorn (light, microwave)
•          Potatoes (white or sweet)
•          Spaghetti sauce

I hope this list is helpful in planning the daily meals and snacks for you or your loved one who is coping with T1D and managing the daily ups and downs of this chronic disease.

Should We Fast from Fast Food?

It’s fast, it’s cheap and it tastes good. Oh the convenience of fast food. But, I do not call it convenient when my young children are adamantly screaming that they want Burger King, Wendy’s or McDonald's when I pick them up from school. I also do not think it is convenient when you or your loved one is diagnosed with high blood pressure or a carotid artery. The term convenient becomes confusing when we do a cost-benefit analysis and compare today’s short cuts to tomorrow’s consequences.     

With a growing segment of Americans who are obese, riddled with heart disease, high cholesterol and diabetes, it is my opinion that fast food restaurants should not be allowed to advertise on television. People know they need to eat and have the right to choose what kinds of food they want to put into their bodies. With fast food companies advertising unhealthy food that is high in sodium and trans fatty acid, the American public is bombarded with images and messages that this should be their diet of choice. The issue becomes larger and more devastating when these advertisements are directed towards youth, with fun toys, cartoon characters, low prices, appealing colors and easily identifiable images.

Of course this argument can be made about many things that are advertised in the media: toys, clothing, medicine, just to name a few, but I think a red flag should go up when the product in question is literally killing people. Eating is a daily ritual and food is how we accomplish it. Fast food, however, increases the risk of eczema, asthma and stuffy nose in children. Youths consuming fast food consume more calories than those who eat at home. Childhood obesity, which is linked to many chronic illnesses, including type 1 diabetes, continues to increase in the United States. We have to do something about this. In my opinion, negative advertisements that affect the food choice in America should be banned from all media sources. In the meantime, people should understand the nutritional values of fast food items and avoid buying those that harm our health.

It is a constant battle for me to feed myself and my family, especially my son who was diagnosed with diabetes, healthy and nutritional meals at an affordable price. I do not need or appreciate the battle made more difficult by the barrage of advertisements shouting at us to buy value meals, dollar menu items or 4 for $4 deals that are riddled with sodium, hydrogenated oil, and calories that we do not want or need in our systems.