30 Jul Seasonal Eating- Winter Edition
When it comes to fresh produce, we are spoilt for choice at the shops. We have access to almost any fruit and vegetable, regardless of its natural seasonally availability.
Why choose seasonal food?
There are a range of benefits from eating foods that are naturally and locally produced in season including;
1.More cost effective
Selecting produce that is in season means it is in peak supply. The cost of growing, harvesting and transporting these items will be much lower, especially if it is sourced from Australian farmers.
2.Better for the environment
In order for non-seasonal produce to arrive in stores there is a significant use of resources. They are often harvested before ripe and cooled to prevent ripening while being stored and transported, sometimes travelling great distances. The ripening process then occurs, which is controlled in hot rooms with artificial humidity and ethylene in order to ripen produce evenly.
On the other hand, locally grown and seasonal produce will use less resources to transport and store. Seasonal produce will naturally ripen on the plant, tree or vine they grow on. Once they are harvested at their prime they will only need to travel a short distance.
3.Increased variety
Choosing in-season produce means that you’ll be consuming a variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the year, which provides more diversity to your overall diet.
Additionally, consider that through winter we have citrus fruits, such as oranges and kiwi fruit, in season. These are high in Vitamin C, which naturally assists our immune system to fight off infection. In summer, stone fruits are in season. These provide us beta-carotene, which helps protect us against sun damage.
Eating a range of different produce throughout the year also means you are simply including fruits and vegetables in your diet. This alone has been linked with endless health outcomes, including reducing your risk of major chronic lifestyle diseases, helps you live longer and assists in weight management.
How to choose seasonal produce
Local markets are a great place to start choosing Australian seasonal produce. There are plenty to choose from in Melbourne, but some great options include Prahan Market, Camberwell Fresh Food Market and Queen Victoria Market. It is worth checking opening days and times for these before venturing out, especially given the recent health and safety changes in Melbourne.
Alternatively, there are many fantastic delivery options available. They will often select a range of in-season produce from local markets, so each produce box will vary based on availability and quality. Some options allow you to choose your own produce from a selection and others will also have additional items you can include in your produce box delivery, such as bread, eggs and even coffee. Many of these services can also be a subscription based, which takes the work almost completely off your plate!
Prahan Market and Camberwell Fresh Food Market have a delivery service available. Other options include Melba and Me, Organic Ease, The Fruit Box Group, The Good Lemon or Nova Fresh.
Seasonal produce in winter
There is a wide range of produce that is in-season through winter.
Apples, grapefruit, kiwi fruit, mandarins (imperial), oranges (navel), lemons, limes and pears are fruits that are in season.
Vegetables include onions, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, lettuce, parsnips, pumpkin, potatoes, rhubarb, snow peas, spinach, spring onion and turnips.
Follow us on Instagram (sportsfitphysio), where over the next few weeks our Dietitian Alex has chosen some winter produce to have a closer look at!
Handy Links:
Organic Ease: https://organicease.com.au/collections/frontpage
The Fruit Box Group: https://thefruitboxgroup.com.au/at-home-vic#theboxes
Nova Fresh: https://novafresh.com.au/fruit-box-delivery-melbourne/
Melba and Me: https://www.melbaandme.com/collections/frontpage
The Good Lemon: https://www.thegoodlemon.com.au/collections/boxes
References
https://my.dietitianapproved.com.au/blog/3-benefits-to-eating-whats-in-season
https://thenaturalnutritionist.com.au/eating-seasonally/
https://environmentvictoria.org.au/resource/eating-green-guide-seasonal-food/
https://healthyeatinghub.com.au/eating-seasonally-winter/