Eating in season not only tastes better, but it is also better for our planet and your wallet! If you buy berries in the winter that are coming from a different country, they have travelled a long way and are likely pretty expensive!
If you start to buy more things locally, it will boost your local economy and create a healthier community! Your dollars mean something! You can buy local at your grocery store, or to find a local farmer’s market near you, go to the USDA’s directory. You can also sign up for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). You can go to LocalHarvest to find one in your area.
Below is a list of foods that are in season in the summer…
VEGETABLES
- Radishes– Radishes make a great addition to any salad. They are also delicious with hummus or as an alternative dipper to chips for guacamole!
- Arugula– Arugula has a peppery flavor that can be the base of any salad or sprinkled throughout for more flavor. It is great for detoxing the liver.
- Cucumber– Who doesn’t love cucumbers in the summer? I like to chop up a whole cucumber and fresh tomatoes and then add some extra virgin olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon with sea salt. Tastes like summer to me!
- Bell Peppers– Peppers are great eaten raw or cooked with some onions and garlic. They are a great way to add color to your plate.
- Carrots– Nothing beats a real carrot! You can dip them in anything from hummus to guacamole to pesto.
- Zucchini– Summer zucchini is so flavorful. I prefer to slice them lengthwise and either bake or grill them. They make a great side dish.
- Corn– If there is one food that I remember eating as a kid in the summer, it is sweet corn! Unfortunately, corn is one crop that is highly genetically modified. If you are buying corn from your local farmer, make sure that they grow non-GMO! If you are buying it from the store, make sure that it says Non-GMO Project Verified.
FRUITS
- Apricots– Apricots in the summer are so juicy and sweet! Eat them as is or add them to your favorite yogurt.
- Plums– Plums are another fruit that are so tasty on their own. You can also make a sweet and savory salad with them by using arugula and feta if you can tolerate feta.
- Cherries– I love to pit summer cherries, freeze them, and then use them to make an almond cherry chocolate shake! I use almond butter and cacao. It tastes like Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia!
- Blackberries– Blackberries make a delicious addition to any fruit salad! You can freeze them as well, so you can enjoy them all year round!
- Nectarines– Ripe nectarines scream summertime! Eat them as a snack with a handful of nuts or add them to a nice big salad.
- Strawberries– Who doesn’t love strawberries? Strawberries are great with a poppyseed dressing such as Tessemae’s Honey Poppyseed and Bibb lettuce.
- Peaches– If you live in Georgia like me, you know that there is nothing like a Georgia peach! As a special treat, we like to have coconut ice cream with fresh peaches after dinner.
- Tomatoes– There is nothing worse than a tasteless tomato. Fresh tomatoes with fresh basil and mozzarella (if you can tolerate it) with a drizzle of balsamic is the perfect appetizer in the summer. You can also make a fresh summer salsa!
- Melon– Melons of all kinds are abundant in the summer. Watermelon certainly reminds me of going on picnics. Slice into wedges or dice them up, they make a great healthy dessert!
- Lemon– Starting your morning with lemon water is a great way to rehydrate after a long night of sleep. Lemon is also a known to help with detox which we can benefit from on a daily basis. I prefer to have warm lemon water as it helps with digestion.
- Limes– You can swap lemon water for lime water or use both! I like to make summer mocktails with sparkling water (flavored or plain) and a squeeze of lime juice. It is so refreshing without the hangover!
Hopefully this list will inspire you to buy some foods this summer that maybe you don’t normally buy! Remember local is best! Enjoy the tastes of summer!
If you would like to learn more or need more ideas, I would love to meet with you! You can book a session here.
Be well,
Stephanie Watson
