Australia is blessed with some of the freshest fruit and veg in the world – and seasonal eating is a great way to enjoy Aussie produce at it's flavourful best! While there are few things that taste better than cherries or a peach at its peak, did you know seasonal eating has financial, health and environmental benefits too?
Good & Fugly customers already know we're big fans of taking the seasonal approach, specifically curating each box to show off what's on offer. Here are five of the biggest advantages of choosing seasonal produce for your meals.
1. Seasonality allows consumers to enjoy produce at its peak
If you’ve ever eaten a mango in July, you’ll know that fresh produce tastes much better when it’s in season! This is because seasonal fruits and vegetables are picked when they're ripe and at their best, so they're full of flavour. In contrast, out-of-season produce has usually been picked long before it's ripe and stored in cold warehouses or shipped overseas. It hasn’t had a chance to hit its prime, which contributes to the bland, off-season taste.
2. Seasonal produce is more affordable
Taste aside, what was the price of that July mango you bought? Making all fruit and vegetables available year-round means importing them from farmers around the world, who enjoying the right growing climate at different times of year. The additional time, effort and cost of doing this drives up the price. On the other hand, eating seasonal produce means everything has been grown locally, eliminating the additional costs for more wallet-friendly meals.
3. Seasonal eating reduces food waste
Did you know that one third of the food produced worldwide goes to waste? That’s 1.3 billion tonnes! Eating in-season fruit and veg is a simple way to do your part to reduce global food waste, as it reduces the amount of produce that spoils before it can be eaten. Ordering your fruit and veg from Good & Fugly helps even more, as we rescue imperfect or misshapen fresh produce that the supermarkets won’t buy (otherwise forcing the growers to throw them out!)
4. Seasonality means fewer emissions
Seasonal fruit and vegetables can be grown locally, so they don’t have to travel as far as imported out-of-season products. Not only does this deliver fresher, more nutrient dense food that supports local farmers, but it reduces the carbon emissions associated with transporting fresh produce. If you’re buying direct from the farmer’s market, you’ll cut down emissions even further.
5. Seasonality means greater variety
If you’re in a weekday dinner rut, seasonal eating is a great way to shake things up! Picking a hero product that tastes best for the season you’re in will force you to get creative with the meal planning and try something different. Making sure your diet has a variety of fruit and vegetables is also important for your health, and seasonal food shopping is a great way to ensure you’re eating the rainbow.
