By Grace Barker
The first bite of a crisp and juicy apple, the warmth of a creamy butternut squash soup topped with crunchy pepitas, the cozy flavor combination of cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg—fresh, seasonal flavors have so much to offer.
If you want to experience the freshest, most flavorful ingredients in your meals, eating what’s in season is the way to do it. Throughout the year, different growing conditions create optimal environments for produce that has just been harvested.
Recently harvested produce is fresher, packed with nutrients, and richer in flavor. Eating seasonally means enjoying recently harvested foods as opposed to ingredients that have been grown in another state or country and shipped in. Often, seasonal produce is locally grown, limiting the amount of time it spends getting to a market. While some grocery stores offer local produce, farmers’ markets often have more of a selection.
Eating with the seasons has become quite the buzzword recently, but it’s not a new concept. It wasn’t long ago that ‘seasonal eating’ was simply how people ate. While technological advances and shifts in food production processes have helped increase access to food year-round, many of the flavors and nutritional benefits are lost in transit.
But there’s good news. You don’t have to be a farmer or have a mega garden in your backyard to enjoy the benefits of local, seasonal eating. Luckily, our community is full of farmers who want to share their delicious fruits and vegetables with you.
Fruits and vegetables have certain growing periods, offering different nutritional benefits depending on the time of year that they are grown. Fortunately, these benefits directly line up with what we need most throughout the year. Warming foods are in season during the winter, while cooling foods flourish during the summer. This can help regulate the body’s temperature, allowing it to thrive year-round.
Different times of year offer heartier vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, and pears. Made up of complex carbohydrates and fiber, these can support a steady stream of energy to keep the body warm and functioning well.
Eating seasonally is not only good for your health, but for the community as well. By shopping locally, you can support local farmers and stimulate the economy where you work, play, and live. Plus, you can take the opportunity to build new relationships, learning more from the people who are passionate about growing the food we enjoy regularly.
Raleigh has plenty of options for you to connect with local farmers to get the freshest produce. Whether you visit the North Carolina State Farmers Market, the Midtown Farmers Market, the Cary Downtown Farmers Market, or another pop-up market, access to fresh produce isn’t hard to find in the community.
What if this weekend, you grabbed a list of seasonal produce and planned a trip to your local farmers’ market with family or friends? Many markets have a variety of fresh produce, flowers, honey, meats, and spices, equipping you with everything you need to enjoy a delicious and nourishing meal at home.
From apple crumbles to mixed green salads with fresh pecans or bok choy and cabbage stir-fry, there are so many easy meals you can make with your farmers market finds. Plus, you can enjoy your meal even more knowing that you supported your health and your local community, all because you chose to eat with the seasons. What are you most excited to get at the market this weekend?
