While eating seasonally and locally may seem like a trendy food movement or something that only hippies are into, there are actually tons of legit benefits that everyone should know about.
Taste
Just think… A peach grown in Mexico that’s picked when it’s hard as a rock is then brought to a New York supermarket to ripen in the middle of a winter. There’s no way it tastes the same as a naturally ripened peach grown on a local farm in the middle of the summer. Period.
Photo courtesy of Flickr
And at the end of the day we want to eat something that tastes good and is satisfying. So for some breaking news, eating seasonally and locally does just that.
How, you ask? Well fruits and veggies that are in-season and are freshly picked have had the chance to ripen on their vine or tree, allowing the max amount of flavors to develop.
Photo courtesy of Flickr
Nutrition
Eating seasonally and locally is better for your health. Here’s why.
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a) Eating what’s in season will actually give you a diet that’s high in variety cause you’re only eating what’s available. You’ll automatically have a more well-rounded and balanced diet, which is something us college kids could all use a little help with.
b) Fruits and veggies that are in season are more likely to be fresher since you’re eating them closer to when they were picked. As a result, they’re higher in nutritional value because there hasn’t been much time for the food to lose its vitamin content.
c) Food that’s grown locally and is seasonal is often organic, even if it’s not certified. That USDA stamp of approval is usually just too damn expensive for small farmers to get.
And one of the best parts for you skeptical ones out there is that since the food is local, you can ask your farmers about what they feed their animals or if they use pesticides on their plants. You may even be able to see for yourself where and how your food is grown as well as what the animals’ living conditions are like.
Photo courtesy of 500eco.com
Sustainability
It also impacts your health and is something we all need to pay a little more attention to — that is if you want to be living on Mother Earth for much longer.
Photo courtesy of patch.com
Basically, less transportation means less pollution, which makes eating seasonally good for both the health of the environment and for you. It’s as simple as that.
Cost
Yeah, I’m talking about dolla billz, and I’m saying you’ll save ’em.
Eating locally means you’re buying what’s in season so you’re getting food that is naturally plentiful. This stuff costs less for farmers and distribution companies to harvest cause you’re cutting the cost of having your food travel from far off lands to your grocery store and then to your home.
Photo courtesy of bestgymnastics.net
And might I add since it’s a whole lot more nutritious, you won’t be paying for all those ridiculous doctors visits in the future. Now that surely can’t be a marketing ploy.