Warming up your Meals with Winter Seasonal Produce

Why choose seasonal produce? 

Choosing seasonal produce is not only fresher and tastier it also comes with added benefits for your health, pocket and the environment. Eating with the seasons means that our produce is: 

Better for the environment: opting for local seasonal produce is better for the environment… working with nature and our natural environments – seasonal produce is more plentiful, requires less resources to grow and less transportation if grown locally. This means a better environmental footprint than produce grown out of season in artificial conditions or transported long distances to get to your supermarket. Not to mention the benefits of supporting local farmers! I love the connection of going to my local farmers markets, buying direct from local farmers and having conversations about where our food is coming from. Even better if you have a garden bed at home, growing produce with the seasons means you can have access to fresh herbs, or produce right at your doorstep! I understand local farmers market produce is often more expensive but if you have room for this in the budget what a fabulous way to support your local growers. 

Fresher and tastier: have you ever eaten fresh tomatoes, lettuce, or herbs straight from the garden … and it just tastes that much better? When produce is seasonal, it is often in its peak growing conditions to contribute to the best tasting end product. It has most likely been recently grown, harvested and transported to the market or grocer, therefore, is much fresher than imported produce or those grown out of their peak season. Being aware of what’s in season can help you look out for produce that looks better and most likely IS tastier! Think about those large, plump, sweet, delicious strawberries you get in summer versus the sad dull looking berries in the middle of winter (that are way more expensive than they should be!) 

Better for the Budget! Produce that is in season will usually be more readily available and cheaper compared to when it is not in peak harvest season. Looking out for what is on special will often be a good indication of seasonal produce and you can usually get better deals and more bang for your buck. For example, buying boxes of mangoes or 2 for $5 punnets of berries in the peak of summer. Being more aware of what’s in season will help you pick the good bargains. In Sydney, I find the local green grocers tend to have great value specials for seasonal produce. My favourite was last year during peak sweet potato season – these were 70c per kg at my local green grocer!!

More nutrient packed: eating with the seasons and changing up your usual produce across the year is a great way to get a diverse range of nutrients into your diet and help support a healthy gut microbiome. Studies have also shown fresher seasonal produce is richer in antioxidant content – another win for health! During winter we see citrus fruits like oranges & grapefruits and kiwi fruits in season … these fruits provide a good source of vitamin C –  an important nutrient to keep our immune system fighting strong through the colder months. 

What is in season this Winter? 

Enough of a rant from me about the benefits of looking out for and choosing seasonal produce…. what is in season right now? Throughout the months of July and August we are looking out for winter seasonal produce in Australia. This may vary state to state but here is a list you can keep an eye out for in the grocer: 

Winter Meal Inspo: 

All this talk about fresh produce when all you want to do is dig into a warming bowl of pasta…. Here is some inspo to jazz up your winter meals with seasonal produce: 

• Pumpkin soups are a must through winter served with some delicious crusty sourdough bread. Pumpkin is a cheap, versatile and tasty veg you cannot go past. Perfect in curries, dahl, soups or serve alongside some roast meat with crispy potatoes. 
  
  
• Eggplant one of my favourite vegetables, this one is so versatile and really soaks up any flavour it is cooked in… some of my favourite ways to incorporate this one are eggplant parmigiana (or melanzane), adding to curries, miso glazed eggplant served with a side of roasted sweet potato & salmon; or added to pasta sauce (like the classic pasta alla norma) the perfect way to add some extra veg to your pasta dishes. Check out my One pan fish curry recipe here .
  
  
• Brussel sprouts another absolute favourite of mine! These are delicious roasted in the oven with some extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper until they caramelise and start to crisp up! I like adding a balsamic glaze while roasting for that extra caramelisation …checkout my recipe here. Serve alongside some pan fried salmon & baked potato or sweet potato. 
  
  
• Citrus fruits – I love incorporating citrus fruits such as oranges, blood orange or grapefruit into meals for a burst of sweet and citrus flavour. Orange pairs perfectly with fennel and cabbage in a slaw salad or with some roasted beetroot, rocket and feta (check out my recipe) as a side accompaniment to your meals… the perfect side salad for a warming pasta or risotto!
  

Are you feeling stuck on ways to incorporate more seasonal produce to your meals or struggling to hit your nutrition and health goals through the winter months? My seasonal meal & menu plans can help get you kick started and can be tailored to your health and nutrition goals. Get in touch to learn more here.