My goal is to tackle health and our health as a nation through small changes. If you read this blog and make one small change, that is one more person taking the steps to making our wonderful country better, one more person that may live into their 90s with full cognitive abilities, one more person that might be happier and more pleasant to be around (we sure need that)! And...we won't be around for any of that if global warming continues (well we might, but we have no clue how it might effect our children), scary huh? Here are some reasons why you should consider eating foods that are in season:
-your food dollar goes directly to the farmer,
-your family will be able to enjoy the health benefits of eating fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables,
-by the principles of supply and demand you may just drive the organic food costs a little lower,
-fresh food grown when and as it should tastes better,
-and you get to experiment with seasonal recipes.
I am not perfect, nor do I claim to be. This is going to be a hard goal for me. Even though I already avoid MOST things from a bag or a box, I do not avoid all. I'm tempted just as everyone else is by the convenience of foods all year round- take for example fruit. Fructose is the hardest sugar for the body to digest. We were meant to eat it seasonally, but apples, grapes, oranges, bananas and so on, sit on the shelves year round in supermarkets.....That's hardly fresh! I wish I had the article about the whole foods organic apple that I read maybe 2-3 years ago, by the time it hits your grocery cart, it is on average 14 months old... 14 MONTHS OLD! You've got to be kidding me. Okay, this post isn't to pick on whole foods, I shop there (not usually in the produce section unless I want an out of season organic food), and my disclaimer is I haven't done enough research (reading one article about whole foods apples is not nearly enough) to state that their organic apples are bad. Lets not forget, Europe just banned American apples. Why? Because apples are laced with a chemical called diphenylame (DPA) for storage- yep your nice juicy apple that has sat in storage for several months...
Think about it... if other countries are banning our food, then how on earth can we say it is good for us. More on the Europe Apple Ban here, if you are so inclined. I trust the environmental working group whole heartedly.
So here are some foods that you can feel great about kick starting your summer recipes off with (note this will vary depending on your area.. eh hem Upstate NY will be different than CO):
apricots
asian pears
basil
beets
bell peppers
berries
butter lettuce
cherries
chiles
cilantro
corn
cucumbers
currants
endive
eggplant
fennel
figs
garlic
grapefruit
green beans
kohlrabi
melon
okra
peaches
peppers
plums
tomatoes
spinach
summer squash
zucchini
watermelon
Here is a great website for local, sustainable, organic: Eat Well Guide. Simply put in your zip code and the results just pop up! Veggie Harvest has a season growing calendar for your zone too.
I want to make it very clear this list is NOT exhaustive and is just a compilation of what I've come across. My guess is this will be my most difficult and longest project-- so much to learn. Of course our best scenario is local and organic... Check out your local CSA OR better yet, start your own garden!