Why You Should Shop In Season This Summer

Summer in the northeastern U.S. means warmer weather, longer days, and plenty of sun. It is also prime growing season for many fruits and vegetables. Taking advantage of the harvests in season comes with many benefits. Learn how shopping in season produce is important for your health and community, especially right now.

First you may want to know what is in season. Here is a resource that lists in season foods right down to the month — for any month of the year. For simplicity’s sake, here is a list of foods in season during the summer in P.A. created by the Markets at Shrewsbury:

By: Markets at Shrewsbury

In season produce is as fresh as you can get, which means more bioavailable nutrients that are essential for important functions in the body. Less shelf time, means higher quantity of nutrients. When fruit is in season, and especially when it is local, there is often less transit time in between harvest and your mouth. Fresh, in season produce is often more tasty than out of season items which makes eating it all the better.

Using in-season food also allows you to experiment and eat according to what is in your area and the season. Why not step out of your comfort zone and try a new dish using a variety of in-season produce? You can rest assured both your taste buds and your gut will thank you.

The best place to find in season produce is at your local farmer’s market or through a CSA (community supported agriculture). Because the easiest places to find in season produce is at your farmer’s market, it usually means the food you find there was grown locally. This is important for two reasons: first, you can get to know the people who are growing the food you eat. You can learn what kind of farming methods they use to grow the food and if there are any pesticides or herbicides they use on their crops. It is the closest you can get to truly knowing your food, aside from growing it yourself! Second, the need to support local farmers is urgent right now. The unstable climate of COVID-19 has taken a toll on many local farms from losing restaurant buyers to having an overload of goods. Shopping at farmers markets can help keep local farms afloat. Often times farmer’s markets are outdoors and many have taken extra precautions due to the pandemic, which may make them safer to shop at than a grocery store, although there is no data to prove this at the moment.

PIM wants to hear from you! Do you have tips for shopping in season? Do you find this article helpful? Share your thoughts in the comments below or on our Facebook and Instagram!

Join Lynda Sherland, CRNP, FNP-C and the whole PIM team for our next FREE group class webinar, A Healthy Gut Supports A Healthy Life, on 7/29 at 7:30 PM. Register here.

If you or your loved one needs help, perhaps you are suffering from the effects of ongoing stress, mood or hormone imbalance, including thyroid imbalance, or you or they are already working with a doctor to address a condition but want a more comprehensive, empowering approach schedule your a 20 minute free consultation or an appointment with Zoie Phillips, MSPA, PA-C or Lynda Sherland, CRNP today! Not quite ready to schedule and have questions, quickly get in touch with us today!

Resources:

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4807/10-Reasons-To-Eat-Whats-In-Season.html

https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/seasonal-produce-guide

https://www.foodsystemsjournal.org/index.php/fsj/article/view/286/268

https://www.marketsatshrewsbury.com/blog/seasonal-produce-pa-buy-favorite-fruits-vegetables/

https://whyy.org/articles/farmers-markets-may-be-your-safest-bet-for-food-shopping-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/