Eating in season summer fruits and veggies is an absolute game changer for both your taste buds and your nutrition.  This is particularly true when you’ve purchased locally grown produce or have picked it from your own garden.  If you’ve ever eaten a tomato or strawberry from your own plants or directly from a famer’s market, you’ll know precisely what this is referring to.

Eating in Season Summer Fruits and Vegetables is the Ultimate in Fresh Food

With food prices being as high as they are, a focus on nutrition means that it’s important to know exactly where to spend those hard-earned dollars. After all, at this point, every bite counts.  We all know that whole foods – that is, foods that aren’t processed at all – are the ultimate in food ingredients for our nutrition. That said, did you know that choosing locally grown options and eating in season summer produce also makes a substantial difference?

In fact, it makes a tremendous difference.  Many of the imported food items in your grocery shelf haven’t been on a plant in weeks.  This causes their nutrition level to slowly degrade. The difference is substantial enough that there are some fruits and veggies in the freezer section that contain more nutrition than they have in the fresh one.

This is not to say that grocery store foods aren’t nutritious. That said, when it comes to the difference between eating in season summer veggies picked locally and those options shipped from thousands of miles away, there is no comparison.

Get Your Fruit and Veggie Servings!

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) only just over 1 in 10 American adults are getting their minimum daily servings of fruits and veggies.  Summertime is the perfect time of year to help yourself and your family to overcome that challenge.  Whether you have the opportunity to grow some veggies in your own garden or in some containers, or whether you have access to a farmer’s market or even just a local section at your grocery store, focusing some attention on those foods can give your body a nourishing gift.

Learn About Eating Summer in Season Vegetables and Fruits

This year, adopt a great attitude toward eating summer in season vegetables and fruits by learning about what they are.  Again, a farmer’s market can be a fantastic resource in this sense because you’ll be able to see what is being harvested right now – likely that morning – in your area and can ask about how to best store it and prepare it too.

That said, if you don’t have access to one, you can still shop the locally grown section in your grocery store. Head online and find out what kinds of fruits and veggies are grown in your local “zone” and pay attention to when they are harvested. There is a learning curve here, but it’s certainly worthwhile for knowing just what to look for so you’ll eat produce at its ultimate in freshness, flavor and nutrient content.