The Key Benefits of Eating Seasonally + A Seasonal Produce Guide (For Australia)
Eating seasonally is a great way to enjoy fresh, healthy, and delicious foods whilst also supporting local farmers and reducing your environmental footprint. In this blog post, we’ll explore just some of the many reasons why you should eat seasonally.
- Seasonal foods are more fresh and flavourful.
When fruits and vegetables are grown and picked in their natural seasons, they are given the time to ripen wholly which means they have more time to develop their natural sugars, acids, and aromas. This results in produce that is much sweeter and more flavourful. When produce is farmed out of season, it undergoes early picking, cooling, and heating which can significantly reduce the flavour.
- Seasonal foods are more nutritious.
Fruits and vegetables that are grown in season are able to absorb all of the nutrients they need from the soil and sun. They also spend less time from farm to table, meaning there is little time for them to lose their nutrients. On the other hand, out of season produce tends to be given pesticides, waxes and preservatives which aren’t good for us. Additionally, many seasonal fruits and vegetables are richer in vitamins and minerals that are particularly beneficial during specific times of the year. For example, squash and pumpkin are high in beta-carotene, which is important for maintaining healthy eyesight during the darker days of autumn and winter.
Keep your in season produce nutrient rich for longer with Veggie Saver, a reusable produce bag scientifically proven to keep fruit and veggies fresh for 2+ weeks.
- Eating seasonally supports local farmers.
When you choose to eat seasonally, you’re more likely to purchase produce that was grown by local farmers. This means that you’re supporting your local economy and helping to keep family farms in business. Furthermore, buying seasonal produce from local farmers is often cheaper than buying out-of-season produce that has been shipped from far away.
- Eating seasonally is better for the environment.
Shipping produce from all over the world to meet demand for out-of-season fruits and vegetables can be very wasteful. Not only does it require a lot of fossil fuels to transport the produce, but it also contributes to food waste because produce that is out of season is often more delicate and prone to spoilage. Eating seasonally reduces the need for transportation and helps to reduce food waste.
- Eating seasonally makes meal planning easier and more enjoyable.
When you eat seasonally, you’ll find that you have a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to choose from throughout the year. This makes meal planning more interesting and less repetitive. Additionally, you can take advantage of the unique flavours and textures of seasonal produce to create delicious and unique dishes that you might not have tried otherwise.
In conclusion, eating seasonally is a great way to enjoy delicious, nutritious, and fresh foods while also supporting local farmers and reducing your environmental footprint. It is not just a trend but a healthy lifestyle choice you can make on a daily basis. So next time you go grocery shopping, check what fruits and vegetables are in season and give them a try!
To give you a hand, here are some fruits and vegetables that are in season each month in Australia:
January
Fruits:
- Apricot
- Bananas
- Berries
- Lemons
- Mango
- Watermelon
- Nectarine
- Passionfruit
- Peach
- Pineapple
Vegetables:
- Asparagus
- Avocado
- Butter beans
- Green beans
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Peas
- Squash
- Tomato
- Zucchini
February
Fruits:
- Apples
- Bananas
- Berries
- Kiwifruit
- Lemon
- Lychee
- Mango
- Nectarines
- Peach
- Pears
Vegetables:
- Avocado
- Celery
- Chilli
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Leek
- Lettuce
- Onions – brown and spring
- Squash
- Tomatoes
March
Fruits:
- Apples
- Banana
- Berries
- Kiwifruit
- Limes
- Mango
- Persimmon
- Plums
- Pomegranate
Vegetables:
- Bok choy
- Avocados
- Green beans
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Leek
- Olives
- Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes
- Spinach
- Squash
April
Fruits:
- Apples
- Figs
- Grapes
- Kiwifruit
- Lemons
- Limes
- Mandarin
- Oranges
- Papaya
- Passionfruit
- Pears
- Rhubarb
Vegetables:
- Bok choy
- Beetroot
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprout
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Eggplant
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Mushrooms
- Parsnip
- Swede
- Tomatoes
May
Fruits:
- Apples
- Bananas
- Cumquat
- Grapes
- Kiwifruit
- Lemons
- Limes
- Mandarin
- Pears
- Persimmon
- Rhubarb
Vegetables:
- Bok choy
- Avocados
- Beetroot
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprout
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celeriac
- Horseradish
- Leeks
- Onions – brown & spring
- Parsnips
- Peas
- Potatoes
- Pumpkin
June
Fruits:
- Apples
- Grapefruit
- Kiwifruit
- Lemons
- Limes
- Mandarin
- Pears
- Persimmon
- Pomelo
- Rhubarb.
Vegetables:
- Bok choy
- Avocados
- Beetroot
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprout
- Cabbage
- Carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, fennel, garlic, ginger, horseradish, jerusalem
- Artichokes
- Kale, kohlrabi, leeks, okra, olives, onions,
- Parsnips
- Potatoes
- Pumpkin
- Swede
- Sweet potatoes
July
Fruits:
- Apples
- Cumquat
- Grapefruit
- Lemons
- Limes
- Mandarin
- Papaya
- Pineapple
- Pomelo
- Rhubarb
Vegetables:
- Bok choy
- Avocados
- Beetroot
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celeriac
- Fennel
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Kale
- Swede
- Sweet potato
August
Fruits:
- Apples
- Grapefruit
- Lemons
- Limes
- Mandarins
- Oranges
- Pineapple
- Pomelo
- Rhubarb
Vegetables:
- Bok choy
- Avocados
- Beetroot
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celeriac
- Celery
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Leeks
- Olives
- Parsnips
- Potatoes
September
Fruits:
- Apples
- Oranges
- Pineapple
Vegetables:
- Artichoke
- Asparagus
- Bok choy
- Broad beans
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Carrot
- Cauliflower
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Mushrooms
- Spinach
October
Fruits:
- Berries
- Lemon
- Mango
- Oranges
- Papaya
- Pineapples
- Starfruit.
Vegetables:
- Artichoke
- Asparagus
- Avocados
- Broccoli
- Cucumber
- Garlic
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Peas
- Spinach
- Watercress.
November
Fruits:
- Bananas
- Berries
- Lychee
- Mango
- Melons
- Oranges
- Papaya
- Pineapples
- Starfruit.
Vegetables:
- Artichoke
- Asparagus
- Avocado
- Cucumber
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Spinach
- Sweetcorn
- Tomatoes
- Watercress
December
Fruits:
- Apricot
- Banana
- Berries
- Lemon
- Lychee
- Mango
- Melon
- Oranges
- Passionfruit
- Pineapples
- Starfruit.
Vegetables:
- Asparagus
- Avocado
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Lettuce
- Peas
- Squash
- Sweetcorn
- Tomatoes
- Watercress
- Zucchini
To keep your fruit and vegetables fresher for longer, invest in a produce bag for the refrigerator.
Veggie Saver is scientifically proven to keep fruit and veggies fresh for 2 weeks or more.
It’s a 100% natural, non-toxic, reusable, machine-washable & compostable produce bag, helping you to reduce waste, plastic pollution, and the number of trips you take to the store!