The summer has truly begun, and you can tell by the offerings in the supermarket. Pumpkins and endive are giving way to fresh, locally grown fruit. How good is it to eat with the seasons?
In principle, you can buy and eat whatever you want all year round. However, we are less likely to prepare a pasta salad in the winter and we don’t want hotpot in the summer. So naturally, we already adapt to the season.
Yet we prefer to eat what we need at that moment. For example, avocados are shipped here from warmer regions all year round. And you may throw a handful of blueberries through your quark every day, while they are only produced in the Netherlands from June to August.
That does something to the price tag. The prices of food produced elsewhere are higher than those of products from our own country. “Cooking with the season is good for your wallet,” budget coach Carolien Vos said earlier. “In the winter it is simply more expensive to eat raspberries than in the summer. I often see it go wrong there.”
According to general practitioner Tamara de Weijer, if you eat with the seasons, you are not only choosing for your wallet, but also for your own health. De Weijer developed a lifestyle program in which she helps people develop a healthy lifestyle.
“Seasonal vegetables and fruits perfectly match what your body needs at that moment,” she says. In the summer you want to be able to cool down and stay hydrated and you can choose from vegetables such as cucumbers, lettuce and tomato. In winter, it is the hearty, nutritious products such as pumpkin, parsnip and kale that give you energy and resistance.
It is important to eat as varied as possible for your intestinal flora
Another advantage: if you follow the seasons, you automatically eat more varied. “That way you automatically get different nutrients and fibers. That is good news for your intestinal flora,” says De Weijer.
For a healthy intestinal flora, it is important to eat as varied as possible. De Weijer: “That is the basis for a strong immune system, good digestion and even a more stable mood.” But what should you pay attention to when you are in the supermarket? It is not always clear which products are in season.
A good first step is to look at what the label or price tag says about the origin of the product, De Weijer tips. “Does the zucchini come from the Netherlands or Spain? Is there foil or plastic around it, or is it loose in the shelf? Those kinds of details often give away a lot.”
Pay attention to the packaging
A useful rule of thumb, according to De Weijer, is to look at what is on offer or prominently on the shelf. These are often seasonal products. “Supermarkets buy a lot of it, which makes it fresher and better priced.”
Instead of going to the supermarket with an idea in your head for dinner, it can be smart to be guided by what is on the shelf at that moment. “By deviating from your routine you automatically eat more varied,” says De Weijer.
What can also help: the simpler the packaging, the fresher the product usually is. You can therefore see from the packaging whether something is in season or not. De Weijer: “A celeriac or bunch of parsnips in a wooden box is often a better seasonal choice than grapes in a plastic box with air holes.”
If you pay attention to this while shopping, you not only take better care of yourself, but also of your wallet. If you have doubts about certain products when you are in the store, you can view the seasonal vegetable and fruit calendar of the Nutrition Center here.