Eating Seasonally: Healthy for your body AND your wallet!

Spring has sprung! I know that we have all noticed the flowers and the trees blooming, the birds chirping, and definitely the POLLEN increasing over the past few weeks. These are all telltale signs that Spring has descended upon us! I am so glad that winter is over, because Spring is one of my favorite seasons of the year! One of the reasons I love Spring is because some of my favorite fruits and vegetables are coming into season, and produce always tastes better when it's in season. I love using fresh fruit in my smoothies-it just tastes so much better! When I started on this health journey some years ago, I learned about eating seasonally, and how and why it can be healthier for us. Let's talk about it.

What Does it Mean to Eat Seasonally?

Eating Seasonally simply means to intentionally seek to eat the fruits and vegetables that are being grown and harvested during that particular season in your region. Because we now live in a globalized society, we have become accustomed to being able to buy all fruits and vegetables any time of year. This is possible because we import food in from all over the world. However, it is healthier for our bodies to eat the foods that are locally grown and in their harvested season.

Benefits and Advantages of Eating Seasonally

Eating Seasonally has lots of advantages for our bodies. My favorite advantage is the fact that the fruits and vegetables are fresher and full of flavor! Especially the fruits-there's nothing like fresh fruit that's in season! Produce that is in season is also more nutrient-dense, which means that your body will get more benefit from eating it during it's season than any other time. I mentioned in the title of this post that eating seasonally is good for your wallet-and it is! Produce that is in season is normally found in abundance on local farms, so you will see the price on sale at your local grocery store or farmer's market. I know we've all seen how inflation has affected our grocery bill, so every bit of savings helps! Purchasing fruits and veggies in season also helps support our local farmers!

Tips for Seasonal Shopping

Seasonal shopping can be as simple as looking for the in-season produce in your local grocery store. Like I mentioned earlier-it's usually the produce that's currently on sale. You can also visit local farmer's markets, and plan your meals around what is currently in season. I sometimes buy extra fruit when it's in season and freeze it for later use, that way the freshness and flavor is preserved.

Here's a list of produce that is currently in season for April:

• Pineapple (one of my faves!)

• Mango

• Strawberries

• Kiwi

• Asparagus

• Brussels Sprouts

• Spinach

• Sweet Onions

Eating seasonally has numerous benefits for your health, taste buds, wallet, and our local economy. So go ahead and start taking advantage of the delicious and nutritious fruits and veggies in season in April by incorporating them into your meals and snacks. Your body and your wallet will thank you!