Seasonal Foods: Complete yearly calendar with the season of each food item

Although today we find all kinds of foods, regardless of the time of year, each product has its optimal season. This optimal season is the time when they are most nutritious, healthy and economical. Due to imports, greenhouses and the use of chemical products, we can find any food at any time of the year. But if we want to make a healthier and more ecological purchase, we must take into account the optimal season for each food. Because these products, in addition to being more environmentally friendly, provide us with many more nutrients and properties, since they have completed their ripening cycle in a natural way. This also makes them healthier and of higher quality; without forgetting that they are more economical. As you can see, there are many advantages, so let’s know the optimal season for each of the following foods. So join us to know the seasonal foods, month by month.

Why eat seasonal foods?

As we have already mentioned, consuming seasonal foods benefits both us and nature. Let’s see, as a summary, what they are:

• Foods, when they are in their optimal season, retain all their nutrients. In addition, when grown in a natural way, avoiding greenhouses and following their natural cycle, they have matured in a better way. With time and according to their nature. Which also makes them taste better.
• As we said, they are more economical foods. In addition to being more natural, better quality, and have more nutrients and vitamins, they have a lower price than if we wanted to buy them out of season.
• With a purchase of seasonal products we promote the proximity trade. Avoiding this way long transports that do not benefit our food.

And, before starting, how to know the season of each product?

Although it is true that it is a task that may seem somewhat complex, at least at the beginning, as soon as we get used to looking at whether the products we want are in season or not, we will soon learn it. You will see that, the second time you look at it, you start to learn it.

To make it even easier for you, we have compiled our seasonal calendars here. So that, month by month, you know which products are in their optimum season.

Another good way to find out is to look at the price. Surely you have already seen that when foods, whatever they are, are out of season, their price rises much more. That is why it is very important to pay attention to this. Because it will also save us money.

Remember that nature always offers us the food we need the most at any given time. Thus, in autumn, for example, we find products that help our immune system to be in optimal conditions. To avoid colds and constipation that brings us this time of year. For example, we find figs, quince, apples … rich in antioxidants.
Or in summer, for example, we find fruits with a high water content, to keep us hydrated.

But as we know that it is a difficult task, especially if we have never before taken into account the season of food to do the shopping, join us to see these calendars to have no doubt when you go shopping.

Vegetables and Seasonal Vegetables

Vegetables are fundamental foods in our diet. Together with fruits, which we will see below, they are the base of the food pyramid of the Mediterranean Diet; one of the healthiest diets in the world.
We should eat at least five servings (fruits and vegetables) a day. And they are a source of fiber, water, minerals and vitamins, essential to maintain a healthy and iron health.

Seasonal Foods in Winter: Vegetables

Thus, in each season, we find the one that best suits us at any given time. For example, in Winter (from December to March) we find seasonal (roughly speaking):

In the images you can see these calendars detailed by months; because, for example, garlic, we can only find them between February and March. And other foods on the list begin their season in March, so at the end of winter will be when we begin to see the results of the first harvests, as happens, for example, with the pumpkin.

So we encourage you to take advantage of winter and the vegetables it offers us to prepare delicious broths, creams or purees. Warm recipes to tone up the body and warm up. Also to prepare stews of all kinds.

Spring Foods

In spring we have great options to make delicious salads. For this, spinach is very versatile. For example, you will surely love this spinach, apple and Roquefort salad. But we can also taste them in dishes as spectacular as this Spinach Pizza. Spinach has a multitude of properties and benefits. We also find chard in season, ideal for making a potato omelet with chard. But these are just a few options, because, with the great variety of vegetables and greens that are in season in spring, we have many options in the kitchen.

Summer Vegetables

We continue with lettuces and spinach, to maintain a healthy diet and make great salads. We also continue with vegetables perfect for making cold creams, such as leeks, for a great leek cream. And we are in luck because, although summer is not its season, at the end of September we can find the first mushrooms depending on the area and the rains that have been. For example, September is a good month to start looking for the first mushrooms, a food with a multitude of properties and benefits.

Fall Seasonal Foods

With autumn officially begins the mushroom season. And, although in the list we only refer to mushrooms as one of the most popular mushrooms, it is also a perfect time for mycology enthusiasts to go out and look for chanterelles or chanterelles. With them, we can prepare such autumnal dishes as this classic stew of chanterelles with potatoes. Although the chanterelles simply with garlic are also a delicacy.

And of course, we can not miss the red cabbage, so typical of Christmas. No doubt you will surprise all your guests with this recipe of red cabbage with apple and pine nuts.

Seasonal Food: Fruits, annual calendar

We continue with fruits. As with vegetables, each season offers us the most suitable fruits for each season. Thus, in summer we find fruits rich in water, perfect for maintaining proper hydration. While in autumn and winter we find many citrus fruits in season; all of them perfect to maintain a strong immune system; and thus protect us against colds and flu. Let’s take a look at the complete calendar of the optimal season for fruits.

As you can see, in each month we find different fruits. But all of them are great for a healthy and balanced diet.

And we end with the optimal season for fish and seafood.

Since when we talk about seasonal foods, we usually think only of vegetables and fruits, we want to remember that it is also important to take into account the season of fish and seafood. Each one has its own ideal season for consumption. In this way, their reproductive cycles are also protected, protecting each species and maintaining their ecosystem.
As with fruits and vegetables, fish and seafood are also more economical in season. Something very important to take into account, since they are so easy to freeze.

Are you encouraged to buy seasonal foods?

As you can see, there are many advantages of consuming seasonal foods. And even more is the variety that we find in the market at every time of the year. We encourage you to make your purchases taking into account these simple calendars and you will see how you will notice the money savings and the improvement in the quality of your purchases. In addition, we will be doing our bit for the environment. It does not cost us any work to take into account the season of each food before buying it; and, taking into account that all it brings us is benefits for us, it is worth making the effort. You will see how in a short time, you will know perfectly the foods that are in season in each season. In addition, this way, we will also force us to maintain a more varied diet, based on fresh products and, therefore, much healthier.

If you have found these calendars useful, remember to leave us your comments, ideas, opinions… We love to read them! You can also follow us on social networks to keep up to date with all our publications. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.

Have a great day!