Eating seasonally is good for both our health and our wallets. Author of The Midlife Method: How to lose weight and feel great after 40, Sam Rice gives us some tips.
Eating seasonally can seem a daunting prospect when you’ve barely time to dash to the supermarket, but it really is worth the extra effort.
Not only does local, seasonal produce taste better, foods that are grown and consumed during their natural seasons are more nutritionally dense and, without all those air miles attached, are also better for the environment.
The easiest way to start eating seasonally is to see what fruit and veg are on offer at the supermarket.
When things are in season, they are plentiful and cheap and will be piled high at the shop’s entrance – think strawberries in June or plums in September.
Buy now, eat later
Remember, many fruits and vegetables can be frozen, so if you have space in the freezer, this can be a really cost-effective way of shopping.
If you have a little more time to spend on food planning, find out what’s in season by checking the Vegetarian Society website at vegsoc.org.
There you’ll find handy lists of fruits and vegetables in season by month, which you can use to do your meal planning. It’s such a treat when a favourite thing comes into season and you can enjoy it at its best for a few weeks.
Get a veg box delivered
Another great way to stay in tune with the seasons is to have a weekly fruit and veg box delivered, ideally from a local supplier.
Yes, it can be a little challenging when a marrow turns up, but it’s so easy these days to find recipes online for any ingredient you may have in your box, and it certainly forces you to be more creative in the kitchen!
The Soil Association website (soilassociation.org) lists hundreds of organic farmers offering box delivery schemes throughout the UK.
Why not grow your own?
And if you are really committed to seasonal eating, how about trying to grow your own?
A few tomatoes on a windowsill or some lettuce in a planter are an easy way to get started. Who knows, by this time next year you might be ready for the full veggie patch!
Follow Sam on Instagram @midlifekitchen.
