Season’s Eatings: Why Everyone Should Be Making the Transition to Fall Foods
As Americans become more and more informed about how they get their foodfrom what goes into it to where it comes frommany people are making the decision to eat food that is in season, or at its peak growth for the year. Whether the decision is made for health reasons, moral reasons, or something else, there are many benefits to eating seasonal food!
Why eat seasonal?
Taste: Food grown in season isn’t typically grown in a greenhouse, so it tends to taste fresher.
Cost: Because seasonal food can be grown locally, there are no import costs, which in turn makes the food cheaper when it hits the shelves.
Variety: As the seasons change, you get to eat many different foods.
Environment: Eating food that’s in season helps to lessen the unnecessary travel involved as food is delivered to grocery stores (which saves energy). Also note that seasonal food that is grown organically is grown in a sustainable way.
Health: Because seasonal food is at the best quality it will be at any point in the year, it is rich in nutrients.
What’s in season for fall?
Some foods that are in season for fall are commonly knownfor example, apples and pumpkins. You may be unaware, however, that the list of fall foods is actually quite large! I’ve put together this list based on a graphic from fitssentialliving.com.
Figs
Grapes
Bell Peppers
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Eggplant
Pumpkin
Red Potatoes
Shallots
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Basil
Tarragon
Transitional Foods
Some foods are considered in season during more than one season of the year, making the transition between seasons easier. Here are some foods that are in season during both fall and winter:
Apples
Cranberries
Pears
Persimmons
Pomegranates
Quinces
Brussel Sprouts
Escarole
Fennel
Frisee
Leeks
Mushrooms
Parsnips
Rutabagas
Sweet Potatoes
Winter Squash
Bay Leaves
Parsley
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme
What else will be in season this winter?
To close out the list, here are some foods that will be in season before we know it!
Baby Turnips
Beets
Endive
Celery Root
Chili Peppers
Jerusalem Artichokes
Kale
Potatoes
Turnips
Watercress
How can I remember what foods are in season?
Many websites offer a visual way to remember what foods are in season by designing cool graphics that let shoppers know what to look for in stores. I really like the one below (from theguardian.com) because not only is the organization easy to follow, it also comes in a PDF version that you can print for your refrigerator.
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