3 good reasons to cook in season

1. A varied and balanced diet

Eating in season allows you to vary your meals and therefore your micronutrient intake throughout the year. At the same time, you can also vary flavors. A good trick is to make sure you always have 2 to 3 different colors in your meal by combining the fruit and vegetables available. Your eyes, taste buds, and health will all be amazed!

Eating in season is also good for the environment: the less distance a product travels, the less it pollutes the seas or the air through which it passes. The longer a fruit ripens under the sun, whether in the open air or in a greenhouse, the less fossil fuel or nuclear energy it consumes and the less treatment it requires.^₁

2. Ideal nutritional benefits

Nature knows what it is doing – it gives us what our body needs at the right time!

In winter, the sun disappears and the temperature drops. To cope with this, our body and immune system have specific needs, including more energy. This is good because the season offers mineral-rich vegetables, citrus fruits full of vitamin C and even richer animal products.

In summer on the other hand, the hottest days can cause dehydration and the sun’s rays can be aggressive to your skin. Again, the season offers what you need: fruit and vegetables with a high water content such as melons, lettuce, cucumbers, or nectarines. Additionally, summer fruits such as cherries and strawberries have acknowledged antioxidant properties.

To optimize your intake, consume the skin of food because this is where antioxidants and fibres are concentrated. But be careful, pesticides 

To optimize your intake, consume the skins of fruit and vegetables because this is where antioxidants and fibers are concentrated. However, out of season, pesticides may be used in the production of certain fruits and vegetables. Remember to wash your products in order to eliminate pesticide residues as much as possible. You can also buy organic products to limit their presence.

3. Unrivaled flavors

Fruit and vegetables are far more flavorsome when they ripen in the sun rather than under artificial light. They also taste a lot better than products that ripen during transportation or after they are taken out of supermarket refrigerators. The further they have to come, the earlier they will be picked, i.e. too early, and they will not taste as you might have hoped; tomatoes in winter are a good example. This is especially true when you “must” adhere to certain food rules. Taste is essential and food should not encourage you to add salt, for example.

Seasonality of food

Europe

Asia

South America

All in all, cooking in season provides you with good, healthy, and varied food, so you will keep healthy and never get bored with meals!