Seasonal Eating for Year-Round Vitality
Experience Nutrition
Eating blueberries in New York City in January was not nature’s plan. If time travel were possible, people from the 19th century would be just as amazed by the year-round selection of fruits and vegetables in the average American grocery store, as they would be by your GPS. Well, maybe not quite as shocked, but surprised nevertheless. As it turns out though, eating fruits and vegetables that are in season and locally sourced (“seasonal eating”) may be something we should be borrowing back from the 19th century. Here are the reasons:
Be Present
Don’t let the seasons pass you by in a blur. Taste the sweetness and sunshine in fresh strawberries from your local farmer’s market in June or the incomparable, ripe juiciness of beefsteak tomatoes from your garden in August.
Be Vital
Many foods that will be shipped need to be picked before they are fully ripe and at their most nutritious. Locally grown foods can be picked at the peak of freshness and nutritional value. Beyond that, Chinese Medicine believes that seasonal foods offer properties that are nature’s way of preparing the body for the upcoming season, like strengthening immunity for winter.
Be a Good Neighbor
Purchasing locally grown produce supports local and regional farmers and is also good for the environment. Shipping fruits and vegetables around the world burns fuel and adds to pollution.
Below is a list of fruits and vegetables and their growing season in New York. You may be so used to seeing everything year-round in your supermarket, that you’ll find a few surprises here (grapes are in season in September and October, for example). The Benjamin invites you to use this list, assembled in calendar order, as a reference as you strive for greater health and wellness. We aren’t suggesting you give up fruits and vegetables in January, February and March, but by seeking out the food of the season, you may find yourself healthier and happier.
Mushrooms (wild) – spring through fall
Parsnips – April and May and October through December
New Potatoes – May
Asparagus – May and June
Radishes – May through September
Scallions – May through September
Spinach – May through September
Lettuce – May through October
Strawberries – June
Corn – June through August
Carrots – June through September
Snap Peas/Snow Peas/Pea Pods – June through September
Cabbage – June through October
Broccoli – June through November
Kale – June through November
Beets – June through December
Cherries – July
Blueberries – July and August
Green Beans – July through September
Peaches – July through September
Raspberries – July though September
Squash (summer) – July through September
Tomatoes – July through September
Zucchini – July through September
Apples – July through October
Cucumbers – July through October
Eggplant – July through October
Melons – July through October
Onions – July through October
Peas and Pea Pods – July through October
Peppers (sweet) – July through October
Potatoes – July through December
Cantaloupes – August and September
Nectarines – August and September
Plums – August and September
Celery – August through October
Watermelons – August through October
Cauliflower – August through November
Rutabagas – August through November
Turnips – August through November
Pears – August through December
Winter Squash – August through December
Grapes – September and October
Brussels Sprouts – September through November
Pumpkins – September through November
Shelling Beans – September through November
Cranberries – October through December