The advantages of seasonal eating

As a student, its hard to consider ways of eating other than ‘cheap, quick and easy’. But let me introduce you to the idea of seasonal eating. You’ll save money, make your food even more delicious with no extra effort, and you’ll be helping the environment along the way.

The Taste Test:

By keeping an eye out for fruit and vegetables that are in season, you get more flavour for no extra cost. The produce is fresher as it hasn’t spent time being shipped across countries, and the flavours are better. Strawberries are sweeter, aubergines are richer, and your cooking becomes more simple. With better, fresher ingredients, you can use fewer elements in your dishes. This keeps them simple and magnifies the flavours of the fruit or vegetables alone.

Saving Money:

With supply and demand, it means that buying produce in peak season is cheaper as more of the certain type of fruit and vegetables are grown during those months. You’ll be supporting British, local producers while reducing cost from your own purse – win win!

A Greener Way to Shop:

Not only does eating seasonally mean your produce travels less distance, therefore reducing CO2 emissions from vehicles, it also becomes less likely that food is not kept in greenhouses and is grown organically.

Give it a Go:

Eating seasonally can benefit you in innumerable ways, including widening your horizons and helping you discover new food to try. But, also, nature always has its ways of helping us along, and plants are one of them. Fruit and vegetables contain the nutrients we need at certain types of year, so eating by season will also help you feel your best and look after your body.

At the moment, root vegetables are starting to come into season, so why not try making a beetroot and carrot coleslaw with greek yoghurt as a tasty addition to your lunches, or create an autumnal dessert from blackberries and apples or pears. I love a good crumble, but if I don’t have the time, quickly stewing some fruit in water and honey can make a great topping for ice cream for a quick but delicious pudding!

Seasonal eating is such an easy way to improve your diet and budget, so I implore you all to give it a go. Try something new and help other people and our planet too!