Eating Seasonal Food

2. Nutrients dissipate quickly.
Broccoli loses 34% of its Vitamin C in just two days. Asparagus that has travelled 3000 miles arrives with only 1/3rd of its initial Vitamin C. Have you ever thought how some fruits and vegetables might not have the high nutrients they are stated to have? Purchasing foods which are in season in your local area or country means less miles for your food to travel so less time for vitamins and nutrients to dissipate. 

3. Some produce is covered in unnatural wax.
Food producers understand the points above, so to enable them to preserve the food during travel they find techniques to preserve the produce. To combat moisture loss, they spray wax on to the produce – cucumbers, peppers, melons, apples and other fruits and vegetables. Its keeps moisture in and gives the produce a shiny appearance. According to Bryan Jay Bishin, who writes in Harrowsmith and American magazine, the wax is sometimes mixed with fungicides and sprouting inhibitors before it is applied. The only way to get rid of it is to scrub your produce with detergents or peel them. But this eliminates nutrients! Again, another reason to buy seasonally and buy locally. 

Our bodies are clever. Over thousands of years the human body has survived by eating a seasonal diet. It's what we need. It's simple.

Seasonal recipes for you to try 

The advantages of seasonal shopping are vast. Year round we go to the market and see the stalls changing with each season - so why don't our diets change with them? 

From containing the best nutrients to tasting the best, seasonal shopping is one of the best things you can do for your diet. Have a read below to see why. 

1. Quality and freshness deteriorates quickly.
In the hours and days after harvest, produce undergoes changes, almost all undesirable. Immediately moisture begins to evaporate, cucumbers loose their crunch, basil wilts, and peppers start to shrivel. Decay sets in, especially in produce like lettuce and spinach. Natural sugars begin to convert into starch, which is why, peas and carrots never taste sweeter than the day they are picked.