Eating Seasonally This Spring

Buying local is a great way to get fresh, healthy food that hasn’t been chemically modified to keep its appearance after traveling half way around the world. Buying local means buying seasonal . . . purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables when they are in season in your area. By buying in season you get the freshest, best-tasting produce at the best price, while eliminating the environmental damage caused by shipping foods thousands of miles.

You can better plan your meals around what’s in season with the seasonal produce guide available from Natural Resources Defense Council.

With the arrival of spring, we here in the northeast can look forward to the following fruits and vegetables coming into season: apples, asparagus, beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, garlic, arugula, beets, bok choy, chard, collard, cress, dandelion, kale, mustard greens, sorrel, turnip, lettuce, mushrooms, parsnips, peas (snap and snow), radishes, rhubarb, spinach, sprouts, and strawberries.

Eating seasonally is a great reason to try new foods. Recipe sites like Allrecipes, Epicurious, Food Network, and Cooking Light all offer recipes by season. Martha Stewart, as always, goes above and beyond with her Seasonal Produce Recipe Guide. In addition to seasonal recipes, it lets you know what produce is in season, what to look for when selecting a particular type of produce, and how it should be stored.

Try eating seasonally. Your taste buds, wallet, and planet will thank you!