More Flavor
Produce that is harvested in-season is more flavorful then produce that is imported regionally or globally. Research confirms that taste is most important to consideration when it comes to making food choices. With over 10,000 taste buds in the mouth, a whole palate of flavors and textures allow us to find enjoyment in the food we crave (Blake, Munoz, & Volpe, 2015).
More Nutrients
Produce that is harvested in-season develop large quantities of nutrients compared to imported produce that is harvested before to ripening. A study conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in London, England, examined pasteurized milk and found significantly differences in nutrient content in the summer compared to the winter. They concluded that the differences in nutrient-density of the milk were primarily due to differences in the diets of the cows. Greater levels of Iodine were found as the diet of the cows consisted of more salt-preserved foods in winter, and greater levels of beta-carotene were higher in the summer as the cows consumed more fresh plants in the summer (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, 2001). A separate study found an increase in vitamin C among spinach leaves harvested in the summer compared to the winter (Igarashi O, 1997).
More Variety
Eating foods that are in-season adds variety to your diet. Researchers found that women who ate a diet rich in fruits and vegetables from 18 different plant families (including cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, cauliflower and brussels sprouts) had significantly less damage to their genetic material than women who limited themselves to five plant families (Michels, 2002). This phenomenon reflects the tens of thousands of years that our genes evolved in unison with the environment as our ancestors gathered food from a wide variety of sources. This diverse array of nutrients from the foods we eat work together in harmony to allow our optimal state of being.
Image by Community Alliance with Family Farmers
References
Blake, J. S., Munoz, K. D., & Volpe, S. (2015). Nutrition: From science to you. Boston, MA, United States: Benjamin-Cummings Publishing Company, Subs of Addison Wesley Longman.
Igarashi O. The Significance of the Issuance of the 5th Revision of the Japanese Standard Tables of Food Components on Study and Research on Vitamins and Diseases. 36th Vitamin Information Center Press Seminar. Tokyo, Japan. 2001.
Michels, K. B. (2002). A prospective study of variety of healthy foods and mortality in women. International Journal of Epidemiology, 31(4), 847–854. doi:10.1093/ije/31.4.847
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Nutrient analysis of liquid pasteurized milk. Food Surveillance Information Sheets, Number 128. 1997.
Igarashi O. The Significance of the Issuance of the 5th Revision of the Japanese Standard Tables of Food Components on Study and Research on Vitamins and Diseases. 36th Vitamin Information Center Press Seminar. Tokyo, Japan. 2001.
Michels, K. B. (2002). A prospective study of variety of healthy foods and mortality in women. International Journal of Epidemiology, 31(4), 847–854. doi:10.1093/ije/31.4.847
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Nutrient analysis of liquid pasteurized milk. Food Surveillance Information Sheets, Number 128. 1997.