The Complete Guide to Seasonal Products for Nutrition, Health and Wellness Coaches

The Complete Guide to Seasonal Products for Nutrition, Health and Wellness Coaches

Baby vegetables in spring, watermelon in summer, apples in fall and pumpkin in winter; The changing leaves and temperatures are accompanied by a variety of fruits and vegetables that shape the taste of the season.

Seasonal produce refers to the fruits and vegetables available at different times of the year in a particular region.

More precisely, the seasonality of the product can be defined in two ways:

Worldwide seasonal products:Fruits, vegetables and herbs produced in the natural production season but consumed throughout the world. For example, since Chile has a similar climate to the United States but an opposite growing season, Cherries produced in the months of November to January are seasonal, even if they are consumed in other parts of the world.
Seasonal products from the region:Fruits, vegetables and herbs that are produced and consumed in the natural production season Climate zone. These include, for example: Lemons May grown in California, but not the imported Chilean cherries described above.

What would definitely not be considered a seasonal product would be that which is produced in an artificially controlled environment to simulate natural growing conditions. Often these fruits and vegetables have a high environmental impact due to the amount of energy required to maintain ideal growing conditions. They also tend to be more expensive.

This seasonal produce guide focuses on the second definition of seasonality; It will help you identify and purchase local, seasonal products. Remember that the seasonality of products varies significantly around the world. This guide is intended for people living in the United States.

As a health and wellness coach, you can use this guide to teach your clients the benefits of eating local, seasonal produce and help them plan meals and shopping lists for each season.

What are the benefits of consuming local, seasonal produce?

You will add nutritional diversity to your diet

Have you ever heard of Diet monotony? This is when you unconsciously or consciously buy and consume the same foods throughout the year due to convenience, likes and dislikes, lack of time or budget. Research shows that it correlates with poor nutritional intake.

By eating a variety of foods, especially fruits and vegetables, you get a variety of nutrients in your body, some of which may be missing from a monotonous diet. Not only do they make your daily meals and snacks more interesting and tasty, but they also provide your body with a variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients.

You connect with and support your local community

By consuming local, seasonal produce, you are naturalSupporting the local economy.Since locally seasonal products have to be produced by local farmers, by purchasing them you support their livelihood.

Buying your products at farmers markets and agricultural shows also gives you the opportunity to meet your local farmers and build connections in the community.

You eat more sustainably

Most standard diets in the United States are based on these nutritional systemsDeplete environmental resources. Sustainable nutrition is based on eating locally and responsibly produced foods, minimal processing and supporting local cuisine. Buying and consuming local, seasonal products is an essential part of a sustainable diet.

You protect your budget

Rising food prices are alarming for most people.

If you make an effort to buy local, seasonal products rather than off-season products, this is the case helps you save money. Even if products are produced in season in other countries or regions, transporting these foods to your supermarket will likely increase costs.

You will have better tasting, more nutritious products

Often, produce grown out of season has poorer taste, nutritional value and quality than when grown and consumed in season. This is because the environment or the produce itself needs to be manipulated in order for the fruits and vegetables to grow and ripen properly.

Read more about how eating local, seasonal produce improves taste, quality and nutritional valueThis article.

Fruits and Vegetables All Year Round: The Ultimate Table of Seasonal Produce

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responsible for leading policy on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on public policy, the best available science, and effective management in the United States.

The USDA has identified them Products grown in all four seasons in the USA.

You can use this table to help you choose foods at different times of the year. However, keep in mind that depending on where you live in the US, some of these fruits and vegetables may be more readily available to you than others. When in doubt, visit the local farmers market or agricultural fair and see what is being harvested throughout the year.

Spring Produce Buying Guide

Summer Products Buying Guide

Fall Products Buying Guide

Winter Products Buying Guide

Main takeaways

Eating local, seasonal produce is a great way to take care of your diet, your budget and your community. It's an opportunity for you to connect with your food, experiment in the kitchen and gain access to a variety of nutrients.

If your customer isn't used to eating local, seasonal produce, this guide can get them started. Have them refer to the seasonal produce charts when planning meals for the week or making their shopping list.

Keep in mind that while this chart is helpful, it may not capture the production calendars of your customer's region. If they want to learn more about local seasonal produce, encourage them to visit farmers markets and agricultural fairs or shop at farmer cooperatives.

To learn more about the science and benefits of eating local, seasonal produce,Read this article.

References

https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/seasonal-produce-guide
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25027288/
https://fruitsfromchile.com/trade/availability-chart/
https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/
https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/citrus-season-is-underway-in-central-california-2/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12671828/
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/patterns-of-fruit-and-vegetable-availability-and-price-competitiveness-across-four-seasons-are-different-local-grocery-stores-and-supermarkets/9453CDA3DACEE965B5948DD011B77263
... more about that in the next part.
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