why eat seasonally and locally?

Nowadays it’s even easier to transport food long distances than it was 100 years ago. Today we take it for granted that we can eat summer berries and avocado all year round yet many of us have no idea what foods are in season and local to the area. Modern transportation and the rise of post-World War II suburban and city life changed the agricultural trade and has caused us to lose touch with the basics on what to know when selecting or harvesting many fruits and vegetables.

Seasonal and locally-harvested fruits and vegetables are fresher and often taste better. They’re’ more nutritious than fruits and vegetables out of season. Even though many of us like to eat blueberries all year round on our pancakes, the best time to eat them is when they can be bought from a local farmer shortly after harvest because they are often fresher and do not require transport for long distances. What’s more, unlike out of season food that is harvested early for supermarkets nationally and internationally, seasonal fruit and vegetables picked at their peak of ripeness are better tasting and full of flavour and nutrients. 

But why is eating seasonal and local food important?

• Seasonal food grown locally needs much fewer preservatives because the journey from farm to table is shorter and doesn’t require “wax” to preserve shelf life. 
• Eating seasonally and locally helps to support the local economy and the environment.
• Buying local produce helps to support farmers in the community.

What other reasons are there to eat seasonally and to keep it local?

It tastes better

Nothing tastes as good as picking your own strawberries from the local fruit farm or tasting those sweet tomatoes grown on your grandfather’s allotment.

Mass-produced fruit and vegetables are there to meet consumer demand and often suffer from a lack of flavour. In order to meet the high demand in quantity and uniform appearance, the flavour is often overlooked, which leads to uninspiring and tasteless produce. 

On the other hand, naturally ripened fruits and vegetables that are grown and picked in season are typically full of flavour and nutrients. 

Fresh food really is a beautiful thing and nothing compares to the taste of fruit you’ve picked yourself. So remember, the longer your produce spends getting to your kitchen, the less sweet they become.

You eat better food for less

Local produce is ripened on the farm before being harvested and transported. This type of produce is fresher, tastes better and is more nutritious. However, local food can sometimes cost more, but it’s good to know that buying in peak harvest season means that you’re getting your seasonal and local produce at its cheapest.

It reduces your environmental impact

More often than not food travels across the world to get to your plate, which most of us give little or no thought to. Unfortunately, it has a much higher impact on our environment and has likely had a more artificial intervention to grow. Also, more energy is needed on transportation, refrigeration and storage to keep it fresh. Eating locally and seasonally helps reduce the costs associated with food, which in return reduces the cost related to the environment, including fuel emissions.

It helps you stay healthy

Although food grown in mass quantities slows the maturation and ripening process. They also help to protect the produce from bacteria and other pathogens to ensure they stay fresher for longer. However, studies have shown that foods grown and eaten during their seasons contain more nutrients. Eating with the seasons is also a great way to introduce variety into your diet and to help you to hit all those important 5-a-day recommendations.

So what are you waiting for? Click here to find out more about the fresh produce that’s available where you live.

Azada was created on the principles of sustainability and our love for the environment. When we began in 2009 it was already clear that our business needed to operate in a way that gave back to the environment and society. We believe in natural, unprocessed ingredients and whenever possible source our ingredients from certified-organic farms and also place great emphasis on cruelty-free practices. To find out more about Azada, please visit our website.