Stock Up On Seasonal Produce

Do you think healthy eating has to cost a fortune? You’ll actually be surprised at just how low the cost can be. There are several ways to save money and one of them is to stock up on seasonal produce when it’s on sale at the grocery or find some local truck farmers that have road side stands. You can do a lot to keep the produce viable throughout the year. Asian pears, for example, are harvested August through October in Calgary, just as apples are. You can freeze these for delightful additions to yogurt, make applesauce or can them, controlling whether you want to include sugar or not.

Stock up for winter months with fall harvest veggies.

Do you want some delicious treats now and later? Beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, greens, potatoes, pumpkins and winter squash are at their most affordable in Calgary in the fall. I’m not a canning fan, but I do love freezing vegetables. It’s easy and doesn’t affect the flavor, plus keeps them packed with the nutrients you need. There are find recipes for each of the seasonal veggies and enjoy. Use organic for veggies on the dirty dozen list and regularly grown veggies for those on the clean fifteen list for even more savings and healthy eating.

Make it a year around project to eat the locally harvested food.

You can easily find the food that’s seasonal for your area by simply searching for seasonal food and the name of your location. That can be the perfect way to start your shopping list for each season. You’ll find prices not only match the fact the fruits and veggies are more plentiful at that time of year, the produce is often fresher and tastes more delicious. If you want organic food, search for places that offer locally grown organic produce or even start a small garden yourself. (Container gardens don’t produce enough for self-sustenance, but are so much fun.)

What’s on the Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen this year?

The Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen are two lists that come from the Environmental Working Group—EWG. Every year they test thousands of fruits and vegetables for pesticide residue and those with the most are the Dirty Dozen and the least make the Clean 15 list. This year the Dirty Dozen includes: strawberries, spinach, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, potatoes and sweet bell peppers. Choose organic for these vegetables.

• The Clean 15 includes: avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, cabbages, onions, sweet peas, papayas, asparagus, mangoes, eggplants, honeydews, kiwis, cantaloupes, cauliflower and broccoli.
• You’ll find loads of variety and some great new recipes you love when you start focusing on eating whole foods that are seasonal in your area.
• What you eat is far more important than how much you eat. You’ll be consuming far more calories per cubic inch when you eat cake, compared to eating fresh fruit and vegetables.
• Consuming fresh fruit and vegetables can increase your activity if you pick the veggies and fruit yourself. There are a lot of places that are “You-Pick” that can add to an active lifestyle. Make sure you stretch periodically if the act of picking involves a lot of bending.

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