Seasonal and Local Food

I never cared about food seasonality before spending 6 months in Portugal in 2013 as a student. There were several reasons why this topic became so relevant. First of all, I was a student, and I had a limited budget. I had to plan carefully and control it. 🤓

The second reason was that I realized the seasonal and local fruits and veggies taste so good. Once I tried figs straight from the tree in September, I experienced a gastronomic orgasm. The taste was exceptional. 😋

At Sustained, we consider if a food is local or seasonal as a key indicator of its impact on the planet.

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Why is that?

First of all, there are two seasonalities available: local and global. Local means you buy a product that is grown in your country and during the peak season. Global seasonality means that the product is in season in its native country but not where you live, thus it needs to be transported overseas. Unfortunately, not all of us live in California or even Portugal, where people can enjoy farmers’ markets with the local seasonal fresh produce throughout the year. Some of us live in the North and can’t have it all. If we eat only local seasonal food, we will pickle and prepare hard for the winter. ☃ That’s why we love seasonal fruits and vegetables from abroad. However, these imported products have a higher environmental impact.

Let’s have a closer look at what other benefits are hidden in seasonal and local fruits and veggies. In addition to the lower prices and mouth-watering taste, these fruits and vegetables have higher nutritious values at their peak. It’s good for your health. For example, broccoli has a much higher content of vitamin C in its season. Tomatoes are at their best during the summer and autumn, full of vitamin A and water. You can be sure that you get the most from the fruit or vegetable by eating it in-season. That doesn’t mean you can’t eat it off-season, but it will contain fewer vitamins and minerals.

As I have mentioned above, local and seasonal eating is super beneficial for the environment.

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Why is that?

• Less transportation means fewer  CO2 emissions.
• Fewer chemicals are involved in delivering the products.
• The supply chain is more transparent. You can visit a farm and see the actual conditions if you want.
• Local food has lower chances to get wasted. Once it is stored for an extended period, it can go bad.
• It is an excellent opportunity to support your local heroes - farmers. It’ll create more jobs and help develop the local community, with a clear positive social impact.
• You will broaden your diet by adding seasonal products to it. Of course, it’s not simple with the kids, but it’s worth trying.
• Eating seasonally will mean you get more vitamins in every bite.

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To summarize, keep in mind eating seasonal and local products is good for your health, community and nature. Plan ahead, check fruits and vegetables seasonality using Sustained info key badges and make wise purchasing choices.

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Happy eating!