Is seasonal eating just another diet trend?
Seasonal eating has become a bit of a diet trend lately. Although actually, it is far from a trend.
When eating seasonal foods, you are simply doing as nature intended. Returning to eating the way our ancestors did. They wouldn’t have been able to dash to the supermarket and pick up any old ingredient at a whim. They would have looked outside their window and eaten something fresh straight from the ground, eating in rhythm with local harvests. Eating naturally with what is available around them, before global supply chains and supermarkets made all sorts of food available all year-round. Seasonal eating is not new nor a trend, it goes back to eating wiser and in sync and respecting the seasons. Supporting local communities, such as farmers, and minimising waste. Once we get into the habit and know what we are doing, we can connect the season to the food and eat in tune with the natural food cycles, even if we are selecting our ingredients from a supermarket.
Seasonal eating is not a diet or a trend. It is simply how we are supposed to eat.
What is seasonal eating and how do I get started?
This is one of the most frequent questions I get asked. Seasonal eating is simply eating produce at the same time as they have grown. This means that we are eating in tune with nature and the natural food cycles.
Local
I think that it is important to consider the idea of “local” when thinking about seasonal eating. This is because we are basing foods on our geographical location and the season will be different wherever you are in the world. For me, I am using the term “local” to describe the south of England, the UK as a whole, and close neighbouring countries to the UK. Some only consume foods within a 100-mile radius. For me, I find this is a little extreme for my lifestyle.
“Seasonal eating is eating foods that are naturally harvested at that time of the year”
What is included in the concept of seasonal eating?
Seasonal eating tends to focus on fruits, vegetables, and herbs. However, there is seasonality with meat and fish. You can also have seasonality in the way that we cook and prepare our food. For example, in autumn and winter, we tend to enjoy lots of wholesome warming stews and casseroles filled with spices. In the spring and summer, we may eat much lighter raw foods with copious fresh herbs.
So how do I start to eat seasonally?
It is so much easier than you think to eat seasonally. But I have a few easy ways to get you started.
Find out what is in season and keep a list to handy. If you are a regular here then you will know my home page has a monthly list of what is in season. Eat the Seasons is also an amazing resource to become in tune with what is in season. You can click on the season you are currently in and up will come a list of fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish. What I love about this website is the fact it provides a little history, biology, and tips such as how to store, how to prepare, and some great recipes.
Create a shopping list and meal plan around what is in season. Instead of planning my meals by thinking about what I want to cook, I base my weekly meals around seasonal produce. To begin with, you may need to give a little more thought to this process. But I promise you, it becomes second nature over time. My favourite seasonal cookbooks are The Modern Cooks Year by Anna Jones and The Borough Market Cookbook .
Following on from number 2, cook simply, you don’t need to overdo recipes and make them complicated. Feature seasonal produce as the main ingredient. As they are so fresh, the flavour will shine and the taste will be far superior.
Grow your own fruit and vegetables. I’m writing this journal in the springtime and have an abundance of easy-to-grow produce thriving in my garden. I have radish, lettuce, various greens, carrots, beetroot, and copious herbs. You don’t need to have a big space, you can also grow in pots or on the windowsill. I also love to grow micro herbs which are incredibly simple and nutrient dense.
Visit your local farm shops and farmers markets to see what is in season. Talk to the farmers about what they are supplying and learn about the food in front of you and what will be coming soon. You can search UK wide farmers markets and London based farmers markets to find a market, farm shop or pick your own near to you.
Don’t rule out frozen fruit and vegetables. These are often picked and harvested at the peak of ripeness so these most definitely count!
If you haven’t already, look into getting a weekly veg box delivered. These are a sustainable way of eating a variety of seasonal produce. Often you will be eating things that you may not have eaten before or not eaten for a while and this is great for our gut health and our over all nutrition. Many veg boxes come with delicious recipe ideas, take a look at Abel and Cole and Riverford.
Most online supermarkets have a section or an “aisle” dedicated monthly to what is in season. Ocado has a great in season aisle that makes food planning and shopping super easy.
“With every season our physical and wellbeing needs change. Hence the need to alter our diet accordingly. ”
With every season our physical and wellbeing needs change. Hence the need to alter our diet accordingly. Mother Nature isn’t silly, she knows exactly what she is doing in harvesting in-season foods. She is giving us foods full of phytochemicals and phytonutrients our body-mind-soul need right then and there and to support them.
I hope that this journal provides some food for thought.
Much love,
Katie xx