There’s a reason why your mouth may water for sweet potatoes in October and November but barely cross your mind in July. People have been eating seasonally since the beginning of time; there was no other choice.
Today many of us have the luxury of purchasing out-of-season produce year-round at the grocery store, but there’s probably still a part of you that is drawn to what’s in-season. Not only will such foods be tastier, fresher, and available to buy locally straight from a farm or farmer’s market, but they may contain more nutrients, too.
For instance, one study found in-season broccoli (fall) contained nearly twice as much vitamin C as out-of-season (spring) broccoli. Perhaps the ancient medical traditions like Ayurveda, which have long recommended seasonal eating, somehow knew that produce picked at its peak of ripeness in accordance with the laws of nature was healthiest too.
Ayurveda also suggests seasonal eating helps with digestion, because it favors easier-to-digest foods in the winter when your body is hard at work burning energy to keep you warm (and therefore theoretically has less energy to devote to digestion).
Now, with fall upon us in the US, it’s a perfect time to feature foods that taste best during the fall months, and October in particular. Check out the list below for starters.
1. Apples
