Seasonal eating is a simple, practical way to improve
your family’s health and enliven their standard daily fare. To eat “seasonally”
is simply to consume the foods that grow naturally in your local environment in
each season. To not eat seasonally became an option only in the past hundred
years or so. Prior to the turn of the century, people had no choice but to eat
what was growing locally during the current season.
Most people aren’t even aware that there is an organic
synchronicity between the plants that grow in the ground and the animals
(including us) that eat them. The human body must adapt in a variety of ways
to the challenges presented by each season. And here’s one of nature’s secrets: The foods from a particular season can help the body meet those challenges
(such as colds, allergies, and weight gain).
Each season generates certain conditions, such as extra
heat or moisture, and those conditions have an effect on your body. In turn,
eating certain seasonal foods can generate similar or complementary
“conditions” inside the body, such as cooling or drying. By understanding the
specific qualities of each season, you can choose foods to balance out that
season’s impact on your body.
How does this apply to you as parents? By adding some
local and seasonal foods to your regular diet, your family will be better able
to tolerate the changes of each season. You'll all become more resilient to the
onslaught of such ailments as winter infections and spring allergies, and your
digestion will gradually strengthen and improve. In short, you will be paddling
downstream, with the current of physiological changes that occur in nature and
in your body each season, not fighting against them.
In the summer, the temperature is warming up, and your
body will need to cool down. One of the best ways to offset this season’s heat
is to incorporate cooling summer produce into your meals. It’s natural to start
craving lighter, colder items such as salads and iced fruit teas. This is a
great time to eat more raw foods. Dinner salads and cold soups are perfect fare
for hot evenings. Try our ideas below for some of the best produce summer has
to offer.
Top 3 Reasons to Eat More Seasonal Produce
- It’s fresher. Food growing in season often has a
shorter transit time from farm to table. That's important, because the faster a food is eaten after
harvesting, the more nutrients and vital energy it packs. Visit your local
farmer’s market or join a CSA to get the absolute freshest choices.
- It’s succulent and richest in flavor. Fresh seasonal
foods taste great. Because they are so flavorful, you can prepare them simply,
without a lot of “dressing up,” and you can use the extra time to linger over
their delicious tastes.
- It’s plentiful. With high availability, the cost goes
down and unusual seasonal foods are easier to find. Choose organic when you can
and enjoy the reduced prices.
Note: Pesticides are not generally used on the first
harvests of the seasons, and many small, local farms are reducing their overall use of
pesticides.
Cooling Foods for Summer
Cucumber
1 cup, sliced: 16 Calories, 0 grams fat, 4 grams
carbohydrate (.5 g fiber), 0 grams protein
Good Source: Vitamin K
Look For: Many different varieties of cucumbers. Try
lemon cucumbers, a small, round yellow fruit with a bright flavor and crisp
bite, for a splash of color in your salad. Cucumbers should be firm to the
touch and rich in color. Avoid rubbery or bruised cukes.
Try It: Peeled, sliced into spears, with a squeeze of
fresh lemon and a sprinkle of salt as a snack; or peeled, diced fine and added
to 1 cup yogurt with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1–2
crushed, chopped garlic cloves for a light snappy sauce over steamed green
veggies (like summer green beans) or a spicy Indian dish.
Peppermint
1 Ounce: 20 Calories, 0 grams fat, 4 grams carbohydrate
(2 g fiber), 1 gram protein
Good Source: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Folate, iron,
Manganese
Look For: Deep green, fresh, full leaves. Avoid limp
stalks and discolored or shriveled leaves.
Try It: Steeped in just-boiled water with honey, and
chilled in the fridge for cold, sweet tea. Or for a delicious marinade for lean
lamb chops, mix 2 tablespoons chopped peppermint with 1 tablespoon each chopped
fresh rosemary, thyme, and garlic. Stir in 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 3 tablespoons
olive oil, and 2 tablespoons soy sauce.
Cantaloupe
1 cup, cubed: 54 Calories, 0 grams fat, 14 grams
carbohydrate (1 g fiber), 1 gram protein
Good Source: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium, Folate
Look For: Melon that’s heavy in the hand, without bruises
or soft spots. It should have a slightly sweet smell—strong fragrance can
indicate over-ripeness
Try It: Peeled, seeded, chilled, and blended into a
refreshing smoothie with a squeeze of lime and sprinkle of nutmeg or ginger; or
scooped into melon balls on a salad with chevre, toasted sunflower seeds, and a
balsamic vinaigrette.
Blueberries
1 cup: 84 Calories, 0 fat, 21 grams carbohydrate (4 g
fiber), 1 gram protein
Good Source: Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Manganese; one of the
highest fruit sources of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds
Look For: Bright blue berries with a white seed. Shake
container gently to make sure berries are fresh, and check to ensure that there
is no mold or excess moisture in container.
Try It: Sprinkled on cereal, layered into a yogurt
parfait, or baked into a crumble.
Real Food Moms Jeannette Bessinger, CHHC and Tracee Yablon Brenner, RD,
CHHC are both passionate nutrition educators and whole food cooks. Their common experiences as mothers and nutrition
professionals, and shared vision for healthier families, have inspired them to
write a series of books: Simple Food for Busy Families: The Whole Life Nutrition Approach (Celestial Arts, 2009) (for families with
school-aged kids) and Great Expectations: Your Baby’s Best Food (Sterling
Publishers, March, 2010) (for families with babies and toddlers). Their newest
enterprise is a website designed to make cooking with real foods easy, tasty,
and fast: www.realfoodmoms.com. As
the Real Food Moms, they deeply believe in the power of families to
heal themselves, and have committed their professional lives to supporting that
effort.
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