Healthy eating is one of the pillars of good health, and eating seasonally aids us in maximising the benefits of the food we eat. It occurs from time to time in British periodicals as a side dish to the main course of exotic recipes, but it should really be at the heart of what we consume. When I checked the spelling of my title, I discovered to my delight that the French magazine, Marie-Claire, had monthly seasonal recipes. Could you imagine Cosmopolitan doing the same?
No, me neither! But considering how much type is devoted to food and cooking, we might try harder to bring seasonal eating into the mainstream. There are several reasons why, but the key one for me is that nature always knows best. Sophisticated beings though we are now, our bodies were designed to work in harmony with the earth. And in the wonderful symbiosis of humans and nature, she provides what we need, just when we need it.
Of course, those in less affluent parts of the world only eat seasonally – airfreighted strawberries not being an option, but assuming they have enough to eat, they are better off for it.
Just what you need
If we can align our eating habits to the season, we will be providing our bodies with the food most suitable for that time of year. During the winter, I crave heavy, starchy foods – pies and mash and root vegetables. In the summer, I am drawn to lighter foods – salads and fruits. Of course, these foods supply what we require at that time. During the cold winter months, we need energy to keep warm (and perhaps some comfort from the long, dark days.) In the warmer months, we need fewer calories, so a light salad will satisfy. In spring, the first vegetables actually give our bodies a spring clean removing toxins and restoring the healthy functioning of our organs.
How much ‘spring cleaning’ you wish to indulge in is up to you, but simply choosing a few more seasonal produce at your next shop will certainly do you good.
Better nutrition
Food, like any other organic material, deteriorates over time. So, the longer the food has been stored or in transit, the less nutritional value it has. In contrast, the closer to harvest, the better the nutrition. Foods that have been transported around the world have inevitably been hanging around. They are likely to have been intensively farmed and treated to ensure a long shelf life. I’m always a little shocked at how short the time is for the vegetables I dig from the garden, but it is a reminder of how quickly foods decline when left to their own devices.
Before you start to despair that you cannot get to a farmer’s market every day or grow you own, there are plenty foods that are very happy to be kept – especially when dried. Nuts, legumes, lentils, dried fruits and oils lose little when dried and equally, frozen foods are often a good choice for maximum nutrition. Peas packed and frozen within hours show little variation to the nutritional content of fresh. Tinned foods are a little less ideal as they often contain sugar, but they are still a great source of one of your five a day.
A matter of taste
It rather goes without saying, that fresher is better. Recently picked produce most definitely has a superior taste. While some produce is reasonably forgiving about waiting to be eaten (like carrots) others are positively diva- like. My favourite vegetable, that is only in season for a mere month or two, is asparagus.
This little beauty needs to be purchased in season and eaten when you get home. The reward? A delicious and delicate taste that requires no other adornment than a little salt and olive oil. And that’s perhaps the most important thing about buying in season. Produce at its best doesn’t need any extra fussing in the kitchen. It tastes superb as it is. New potatoes and butter; fresh green beans and pepper; locally caught fish brought in that day – there really isn’t anything to beat it.
The best value
A basic rule of economics is that price will be determined in relation to supply and demand. The more abundant the supply, the lower the price. It makes sense then that produce that is in season and therefore abundant, will be cheaper than at other times of the year. Which makes seasonal eating a win: win. It is lower in price and higher in taste. And to make the best of both of these, you can buy in bulk at their peak and then freeze or preserve more for later.
Healing nature
Since nature has been so obliging in providing all that we need, it seems only fair that we make some effort to help her out too. Intensive farming, pesticides, excess wrapping and air miles all take their toll. Seasonal eating reduces all these. If we take our bags to the shops, buy seasonally, locally and ideally organic, we can do a great deal to reduce the pressure that food production places on the planet.
Getting started
If all this seems a bit like too much hard work, start small. During lock-down we’ve been buying groceries online and we were tending to go for the same old staples week after week. Our vegetable patch was resting and I was rather losing sight of what was in. Of course, winter is the time for root vegetables, so we added parsnips and swedes to our cart. I should have consulted the excellent BBC guide: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/seasonal-calendar which shows not only fruit and vegetables but the best times to buy meat and fish. The same site suggests seasonal recipes to whet your appetite. With spring on the way, our options are expanding. I’ve just picked some long awaited leeks and the broccoli finally promises to produce something other than leaves. There is still a little parsley (herbs are almost always in season) and I’m planning on using some of these ingredients for dinner with other, store bought, seasonal vegetables.
As someone who is easily overwhelmed by too much choice, I rather like having what is available to decide for me. And if we follow the seasons, we will be constantly changing and expanding the foods we eat and diversity in eating is key to optimal nutrition. So as we move into the period of greatest abundance, I urge you to give seasonal eating a try. There is nothing to lose and much to gain. Bon appetit!