Why Is Eating Locally and Seasonally Good for the Planet, Your Wallet, and Your Waistline?

Eating local and seasonal foods is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. But not only that, eating more of these foods has many other benefits! Discover what these benefits are and become motivated to check the origin labels in the supermarket.

1. Spare The Environment

The environmental impact of food, which has travelled across the globe to reach your plate, is higher than say an apple from the local farm. It requires more energy to transport, chill, and store. And often more packaging is needed to keep the food fresh on the long journey.

Check if there are any farms in your area you can buy from directly. Do make sure the farmers use sustainable, organic, and energy-efficient agricultural methods. This way, you can reduce environmental impacts even more! A farmers market is also a great way to find local and seasonal fruits and veggies, or other products like meat and bread. It can even become a fun weekly outing.

2. It’s Cost-effective

You’ll spend less hard-earned cash and get the most nutrient-dense, fresh food by going for fruit and vegetables in season. Choosing seasonal locally farmed produce is preferable to paying for food grown on the other side of the world.

Seasonal foods can be more affordable because they are easily accessible and plentiful. It’s the law of supply and demand. The more farmers produce a particular food; the quicker it must be sold before it goes bad, making it cheaper.

3. Health Is Wealth

Fruits and vegetables begin to lose their nutrients within 24 hours of being picked, so fresher produce is more nutritious. Also, locally grown food is picked at its peak ripeness, when it’s packed with juicy vitamins and minerals.

In-season fruits and veggies are fresher and tastier, sweet and perfectly ripe. Seasonal produce ripens naturally on the vine or tree and is harvested at the right time to preserve more flavour and nutrition.

4. It’s Bursting With Flavour

Food is usually tastiest when harvested at its prime and sold soon after. Frequently, food that must travel a great distance is harvested too early and frozen to keep it from going bad. The magnificent, flavour explosion and juiciness of vegetables and fruits harvested at the right time is definitely noticeable.

5. Less Chemicals

Chemicals can be used to maintain food freshness and survive shipping. Locally grown fruits and vegetables don’t require treatment. You can also ask your farmer about harvesting methods and what to do with your food. Do they rinse vegetables with chlorinated water? Do they put a solution on potatoes, onions and garlic to keep them from sprouting? Do they grow apples?

6. Helps Support Local Communities

By supporting local businesses, you cut out the middleman and give farm families next door more business. It results in thriving local farms and helps out the community. It’s also a great opportunity to learn about nature, farming, seasonality, and agriculture. Farmers are usually very happy to talk about their craft. Take the kids so they can also learn where food comes from.

7. Reduce Food Waste

Food is more likely to spoil and go to waste the longer it’s in transit and in stores. Every year tons and tons of food goes bad and to waste before it can even reach your fridge. We can help out reduce this waste by going for local and seasonal options.

So, are you ready to eat more local and seasonal food? Which reasons count most for you?

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