Nutrition: Here’s why it’s healthy and economical to eat fruits and vegetables in season

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Spring is right around the corner and along with the change in season comes a new selection of fresh fruit and vegetables to enjoy. There is a wide array of health and economic benefits to eating what’s in season. Let’s dive into how eating seasonal produce can help you stay healthy throughout the year.

The well-known nutrition recommendation to “eat the rainbow” has roots in very sound, evidence-based nutrition advice. The more varied, and colorful a person’s diet, the more likely they are to consume adequate micronutrients including vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to support optimal health. At the same time, many common food staples like white rice, fries, processed deli meat, refined pasta, and white bread have a monochrome appearance lacking in color and essential nutrients altogether.

According to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, three in four people do not eat the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables, while more than one half exceed their daily needs for grains and protein, plus many consume too much added sugars, saturated fat and sodium. This imbalance in eating habits contributed to high incidences of lifestyle-related chronic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

The majority of Americans consume only about 15 grams of fiber per day compared to the recommended 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men daily. By incorporating a variety of fruit and vegetables, daily fiber intake increase. Meeting daily fiber goals has digestive benefits and increases the sense of fullness and satiety after eating.

There’s also the taste factor and, simply put, produce that is in season and picked at the peak of freshness tastes great. Plus, produce is more affordable when it is in season and grown locally instead of having to be shipped from another country when unavailable locally. We are very fortunate to live in California where our climate allows us to grow produce for much of the nation throughout the year.

The farmer’s market is a great place to stay up-to-date with what foods are now in season. No time to make it to the farmer’s market? Not a problem, the organic sections at most grocery stores are typically stocked with locally sourced produce, and they are often labeled “Locally Grown.” You may even consider trying a fresh produce delivery program such as Farm Fresh to You or Imperfect Produce that makes eating veggies and fruit even easier by shipping a seasonal box right to your home or office on a subscription basis.

Check out the list below to see what’s in store for spring in southern California. The grapefruits, mandarins, tomatoes, tomatillos, and strawberries are all great sources of vitamin C. Try making a fresh tomatillo salsa to pair with your breakfast quesadilla or grilled chicken. The cruciferous vegetables broccoli, cauliflower, and radishes are good sources of Vitamin A. Garlic and herb roasted cauliflower and radishes make a great vegetable side dish to an early spring dinner. Asparagus can easily be enjoyed steamed with a squeeze of fresh lemon and sodium-free seasoning, and is a good source of vitamin K.

Artichoke

Asparagus

Carrots

Chard

Broccoli and cauliflower

Fava beans

Green garlic

Grape and Cherry tomatoes

Grapefruit

Mandarins

Radishes

Strawberries

Sugar snap peas / snow peas

Tomatillo

Matching the food on our plates to the changing seasons will help ensure that you are eating a variety of nutrient-dense foods to support good health. If you’re not accustomed to eating seasonally it could potentially be overwhelming to introduce an entirely new list of foods at once. Instead, start with trying one or two new fruit and vegetables each season. When taking this approach, before you know it you’ll be effortlessly eating with the seasons in no time.

LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, provides nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and businesses. Do you have a nutrition question that you’d like her to address in a future column? Send LeeAnn an email at RD@halfacup.com.

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