Access to fruits and vegetables is readily available year-round, but it’s often recommended to consume seasonal produce. This idea is supported by the Ayurvedic concept of “Ritucharya”, which suggests that our diet and lifestyle should align with the changing seasons to harmonize with nature and our body’s natural rhythms.
Natural fruits and vegetables are nutritionally richest when they are picked in season.
Benefits of eating seasonal fruits
Nutritional quality
Eating seasonal foods during their peak season results in a higher concentration of nutrients compared to when they are not in season. Seasonal produce is picked at its peak, when it is most nutrient-dense.
Flavor
Seasonal foods are allowed to ripen naturally and are harvested at the optimal time. On the other hand, off-season produce is often artificially ripened using chemicals and gases, leading to a decreased taste and nutritional value compared to naturally ripened seasonal produce. So, seasonal produce has the best flavor because it is ripened naturally on the vine or tree, rather than being picked earlier.
Cost savings
Seasonal produce is typically less expensive because it is available in bulk in market during its peak growing season. So because of increased in supply and competition in sellers, market rates are minimum. In off-season farming produce is typically sourced by imported or grown by hi-tech farming methods in greenhouses, which can add to the cost due to transportation and production expenses.
Supports local agriculture
Buying seasonal produce supports local farmers and helps to sustain the local economy. In addition, consuming seasonal food supports local farmers and markets and reduces fuel emissions from the transportation of out-of-season foods to different regions.
Environmentally friendly
Eating seasonal produce reduces the carbon footprint of transportation and storage as it is reduces greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating the need for artificial heating or lighting required to grow it, storage it and transports it from long distance thus saving high-energy input.
Eating seasonally encourages variety in your diet and helps you to try new foods. here is a list of seasonal fruits by region
List of seasonal fruits by region
North America
Apples, blueberries, cherries, grapes, peaches, pears, plums, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries
Europe
Apples, blackberries, cherries, figs, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, raspberries, strawberries
South America
Bananas, guava, mangoes, papayas, pineapples, passionfruit, watermelons
Asia
Apples, bananas, mangoes, papayas, pineapples, lychees, guava, persimmons, pomegranates
Australia
Apples, bananas, mangoes, passionfruit, pineapples, watermelons, rockmelons, avocados, kiwis
Africa
Mangoes, avocados, guava, pineapples, watermelons, papayas, passionfruit, bananas.
If you are in India then here is a list of seasonal fruits in India.
List of seasonal fruits in India
Winter (December to February)
Oranges, pomegranates, apples, kiwis, guavas
Spring (March to May)
Mangoes, lychees, pineapples, jackfruit
Summer (June to August)
Mangoes, watermelons, muskmelons, peaches, plums, apricots, figs
Monsoon (July to September)
Bananas, papayas, grapes, guavas, litchis
Autumn (October to November)
Apples, pears, persimmons, kiwis, pomegranates.
Kalpesh Pathak
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