As much as we love the warm weather, relaxing by the pool, enjoying crisp, raw fruits and veggies, and slipping away for summer vacations, our bodies and minds are ready for the shift in seasons.
As the humidity, temperature, and length of days change, our bodies naturally will follow suit. Whereas during the summer months, we craved cooling, lighter foods, fall is a time to recognize our desire for warming foods and tastes. Following the patterns of nature, and emulating those shifts in our own bodies through our food, routines, and lifestyles, will leave us feeling more balanced and whole in our minds and bodies.
And with fall now before us, we couldn’t be more excited to reap the benefits of a new season. Our love of fall consists of more than just fuzzy socks and the annual reintroduction of “pumpkin spice flavored” everything. At DEFINE foods, our palettes are ready for the new crop of produce that has finally reached its peak flavor.
We’re talking about root vegetables like butternut squash, brussel sprouts, fennel, turnips, and pumpkins (of course!). Let’s not forget the delicious, seasonal fruits like cranberries, apples, and persimmons. And to top everything off, we love the addition of warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg that instantly elevate any simple dish.
So Why Do We Love To Eat Seasonally?
There are so many benefits from eating seasonally. Once you’ve built a lifestyle around seasonal foods, you’ll notice how they truly help aid the body’s natural healing process. But if you’re looking for more reasons, check these out:
Produce that has been given proper time and nourishment from the sun and soil will taste better and offer more nutritional benefits. Seasonal, fresh produce is planted, grown, and picked only when they’re fully ripe and developed. Enjoying foods that are meant to be grown and eaten during a specific season will yield a more delicious taste and higher levels of antioxidants as they were grown in their peak environment.
Like anything, when the supply is high, the price is low. In fall, for instance, sweet potatoes and butternut squash grow in abundance. Due to supply and demand, farmers will want to make sure they can sell their lot, so they’ll offer their seasonal produce at a lower price. This is a great opportunity to take an economical approach to your grocery habits. Take advantage of the delicious, nutritious, and seasonal food at their best price!
Eating seasonally introduces you to foods you may be unfamiliar with. This is where the fun begins! Perhaps you notice the abundance of huckleberries at your local farmer’s market, but you aren’t sure what to do with them. This is a great opportunity to talk with the farmer, check out some recipes that highlight your star ingredient, and get playful in the kitchen. Doing this each season with different foods will provide a wide variety to our diets, which is extremely healthy for our bodies. And you never know, you might find you absolutely love cactus pears, hearts of palm, or another lesser known fall favorite.
DEFINE foods is committed to feeding our bodies with only the best ingredients. For this reason, we’re switching up our Meal Program to include more seasonal foods. We recognize the benefits of fueling up on what’s meant to be enjoyed during this season and we can’t wait to share them with you.
For more inspiration and ideas about cooking with seasonal ingredients, join us for our hands-on cooking class at Central Market. Chef Erin will walk you through the preparation of five, autumn-inspired dishes (think, Persimmon Tea Cake and Fennel + Apple + Turmeric Soup!) so you can learn how to cook for balance and optimal health during this fall season.