{"id":17437,"date":"2021-05-24T17:10:15","date_gmt":"2021-05-24T16:10:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/?p=17437"},"modified":"2023-03-03T12:40:45","modified_gmt":"2023-03-03T12:40:45","slug":"a-guide-to-eating-seasonally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/a-guide-to-eating-seasonally\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to Eating Seasonally"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the seasons come and go, we experience changes in the weather, nature and the type of produce that grows. Seasonal eating involves eating foods which are ready to harvest at the same time of year that you eat them. Eating with the seasons is not a new concept, historically our ancestors had no choice but to eat food that was in season and available locally. Our modern lifestyles of convenience have caused us to lose touch with nature due to having year-round accessibility to the same produce. Supermarkets transport food from all over the world, so we take for granted eating avocado on toast every day of the year.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Are the Benefits of Seasonal Eating?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Nutrient Content<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Eating fresh, ripe produce optimises the concentration of certain nutrients as many nutrients in fresh produce decline over time. Seasonal food will also appear much brighter and vibrant in colour, often more plump than non-seasonal produce which can often look a little lacklustre. The variety of eating seasonal produce also provides multiple health benefits due to consuming a wider variety of different nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\n

Taste<\/b><\/h4>\n

Seasonal food is fresher and naturally at its best so tends to be much more full of flavour. Fresh, seasonal produce which hasn\u2019t travelled a long distance tastes better because the produce hasn\u2019t been selectively bred for a longer shelf-life and transportability. When produce is grown and picked in season it tastes much fresher, riper, sweeter, and more delicious.<\/span><\/p>\n

Environmental Impact<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Eating seasonally reduces the energy and associated CO2 emissions required to grow and transport out of season produce. When you buy seasonal produce, you help to reduce the demand for out of season produce, which requires shipping\/importing from other countries. This means less transportation, less fuels, refrigeration, and less irradiation of produce.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Supports Local Economy<\/b><\/h4>\n

Buying seasonal produce from a local greengrocer, market, farm shop or veg box scheme is a great way to support local businesses and farming.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"colourful-vegetable-bowl\"<\/a><\/p>\n

How to Eat Seasonally<\/span><\/h3>\n

Understanding seasonality can be useful when planning meals ahead or budgeting for weekly shops. However, it can be difficult to know exactly what is in season and for how long. A simple way to keep up with what\u2019s in season is keeping an eye on the prices of produce in supermarkets. When the prices drop, that\u2019s usually a sign that the food is coming into season, whereas high prices are a good indicator that the food is out of season.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are many useful resources online to establish exactly what is in season throughout the year. The <\/span>Vegetarian Society<\/span><\/a> has an extensive list of seasonal produce from the UK and sites such as <\/span>Eat the Seasons<\/span><\/a> update weekly to keep you up to speed on what\u2019s currently in season.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s recommended to eat foods that are in season because it’s designed to supply your body with the nutrients it requires at the appropriate time of year. In hotter months, it\u2019s important to provide our bodies with foods that protect us from damage from the sun (such as tomatoes and watermelon thanks to their lycopene content) and also keep us cool (foods with high water content like cucumber or oranges).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Similarly, we get certain vitamins and the warmth of the sun, so in winter months when there is less daylight, it\u2019s important to eat foods which supplement that deficiency (such as mushrooms), as well as foods that keep us warm, such as a hearty stew with winter vegetables.<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s in Season When?<\/span><\/h3>\n

It is not always easy to know what is in season throughout the year. Here are some examples of UK seasonal produce through the different seasons to guide you.<\/span><\/p>\n

SPRING<\/b><\/p>\n