Fruit and vegetable seasonality

Most everyone today lives in a place where you can get just about any kind of produce year round. I doubt anyone can remember the last time they went to a store and did not see apples. Apples only grow 2 or 3 months out of the year so how are they in stores year round? If you have eaten an apple in the last 7 months, it was either shipped from new zeland or has been sitting in a warehouse being pumped full of gas to keep them from rotting. I am a chef by trade and have worked in the food industry more than half my life and I feel very strongly about eating in season. It is sad but simply eating fruits and vegetables is not enough anymore because you really have no clue what the life of that particular item has been. It used to be the farmers grow the food and send it to the market. People come to the market and buy the food. It takes two sentances to explain how food used to arrive if I tried to explain the complex process of our food system today it would take two pages. Farmers markets are by far the best place to get produce and you will only get what is in season. This option is not available for most people, at least not year round. I have attached a link to a chart of the seasonality of diffferent fruits and vegetables. If you buy in season you will get better products. They will taste better, be fresher and the nutritional content will be higher. If you are content with eating frozen processed food then you may ignore this but if you really care about what goes into your body it is worth taking a look.

http://www.azcentral.com/style/hfe/food/articles/2008/07/08/20080708inseason_cal-CR.html

Andrew

ajhoover said:

Most everyone today lives in a place where you can get just about any kind of produce year round. I doubt anyone can remember the last time they went to a store and did not see apples. Apples only grow 2 or 3 months out of the year so how are they in stores year round? If you have eaten an apple in the last 7 months, it was either shipped from new zeland or has been sitting in a warehouse being pumped full of gas to keep them from rotting. I am a chef by trade and have worked in the food industry more than half my life and I feel very strongly about eating in season. It is sad but simply eating fruits and vegetables is not enough anymore because you really have no clue what the life of that particular item has been. It used to be the farmers grow the food and send it to the market. People come to the market and buy the food. It takes two sentances to explain how food used to arrive if I tried to explain the complex process of our food system today it would take two pages. Farmers markets are by far the best place to get produce and you will only get what is in season. This option is not available for most people, at least not year round. I have attached a link to a chart of the seasonality of diffferent fruits and vegetables. If you buy in season you will get better products. They will taste better, be fresher and the nutritional content will be higher. If you are content with eating frozen processed food then you may ignore this but if you really care about what goes into your body it is worth taking a look.

http://www.azcentral.com/style/hfe/food/articles/2008/07/08/20080708inseason_cal-CR.html

Andrew

Thanks BIG TIME!

Brandon Green

I tend to agree with the seasonality theory, but let me make an important point here:

One should prioritize his principles. It is a very neglected part in nutritional planning and a weak link in many people's aproach to a healthy and productive diet.

The principle of seasonality is a nice one to incorporate, but it is not high on my list. Reason? further limiting yourself in your food choices can take you down like a house of cards.

This is an advanced principle to be incorporated with someone already eating paleolithic food choices, planning for optimal insulin management, staying away from alerganic foods and eliminating deficiencies.

Only then, in my opinion it would be wise to incorporate such a limiting factor as seasonality.

Even after years of eating correctly and holding a very low body fat percentage year around I am not completely convinced I have reached this point. Be humble.

After being asked by people for advanced nutritional guidance I always reply: 'are you drinking anything else than water?' if they answer 'yes' I do not provide further information. First implement that principle, prioritize it, before we go on. You are not ready.

Too little knowledge can be dangerous, too much can also be limiting. Practice and knowledge should be combined.

My 2 cents,

Ido.

Well said Ido. I do agree that too much information can be very limiting. I have spent far too much time in food production and service and thus has turned me off from many different things. My life has shaped my own views and you are completely welcome to yours. I truly believe if you eat seasonaly you will not limit your choices but expand them. Forcing yourself to think outside your realm of what is normal and comfortable can be a good lesson for more than just diet. Different fruits and vegetables all contain different anti-oxidants and phytochemicals and you will get the most with variety which is forced by seasonal eating. This just as anything is a guideline and it really is not going to kill you if you eat something out of season, I do on occasion and as you can probally tell this is somthing I feel strongly about.

Andrew

To add something that is similar in the Ayurvedic Diet (Traditional Indian Food.. Not the greasy restaurant Buffet).

It might help.

1) Fresh Cooking > Fresh Consumption - Ayurveda recommends eating within 1-2 hours of cooking something. Avoid old stuff.

2) Natural, Fresh, Seasonal - Foods that grow NATURALLY in the right season are better than ones that are MADE AVAILABLE ANNUALLY thanks to modern farming & Importing. Right Foods have a balancing effect on the body. e.g. Watermelons are perfect for the summer but not recommended for the Monsoons.

3) Mostly Vegetarian - High focus on Fresh Fruits & Veggies. Raw foods > Yogic Diet

4) No such thing as SNACKING. Ayurveda talks about Rhythm of Human Body and natural cycle for the Digestive Fire.. being active at certain times.

5) Meat/Fish are LOW... Typically a delicacy, an indulgence of sorts. Occasional item.

jasonmstein said:

I'm curious as to where this information on Ayurveda has been sourced.

The number of meals, the times of those meals, the amount and kinds of meat, the kinds of foods one should eat in general, and the frequency of cooked versus raw foods are all highly, highly contingent on one's specific dosha.

True. Which is why I have not outlined specific foods... Because the Prakruti (Body Constitution) determines diet to balance the Doshas (Natural Imbalaces).

The above are thumb rules for most people who may or may not get a Prakrtui based diet.

AjHoover. I'd love to swap more info with you on this front.

I strongly believe in Seasonal Food consumption because of why & how natural veggies come into being.

Watermelon Example being a case of being perfect for Summer (adds the Water element - Ayurveda works on 5 elements & 3 Doshas) and would not be recommended for a different season.