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Balance Your Life

Seasonal Eating for Yogis

June 21st is technically the summer solstice, but Memorial Day usually marks the start of “summer” with weekend BBQs and healthy seasonal side items like a big green salad, grilled corn on the cob, and colorful fruits.

Seasonal eating has a lot of health benefits, and summer produce is refreshing and brings new variety to your diet.

Many healthy yogis choose to eat seasonally, changing how they eat depending on the fruits and vegetables that are most fresh in any given month or season. Seasonal eating simply means that you eat foods that are currently being grown and harvested at the same time you buy them.

Many traditional cultures were engrained in seasonal eating because they had to be, but supermarkets, processed foods, and global trade have made it an unnecessary practice today. However, seasonal eating shouldn’t be ignored just because we have other unhealthy alternatives available.

Our bodies crave seasonal foods because they are fresher, taste better, and are often less expensive. Seasonal produce brings the fuller flavors of fresh, whole foods back into your diet, which is why so many yogis love seasonal eating, especially in the summer.

To stick to seasonal eating all summer long, try planning meals for the week around the best foods the summer season has to offer – like salads, smoothies, and fresh juices. A good goal for seasonal summer produce is to fill half of your plate with fruits and veggies at every meal. You should also be aiming to eat the rainbow, always fueling up on a wide range of colorful fruits and vegetables for the best nutrient intake.

Fruits and vegetables are nutritional all year round, but even more so when they are in season, so stock up these fresh ingredients now! On Saturday mornings head to the local farmer’s market for fresh seasonally grown produce that you can eat all week long. Different parts of the world and even different states will have different seasonal produce if you’re eating locally grown foods, which is why the farmer’s market is a great option for produce shopping.

Enjoy the many health benefits of eating seasonally like putting your body in rhythm with nature, eating the best produce, being kinder to the environment, and helping out your wallet all at the same time.

Here is a list of seasonal summer fruits and vegetables for your summer meal planning:

  • Fruits
  • Cherries
  • Blueberries
  • Blackberries
  • Grapes
  • Cantaloupe
  • Watermelon
  • Peaches
  • Plums
  • Raspberries
  • Strawberries
  • Mango
  • Nectarine
  • Apricot
  • Pineapple
  • Lychee
  • Vegetables
  • Asparagus
  • Beets
  • Celery
  • Cucumber
  • Eggplant
  • Turnips
  • Zucchini
  • Lettuce and Arugula
  • Mushrooms
  • Carrots
  • Summer Squash
  • Corn
  • Bell Peppers
  • Garlic
  • Green Beans
  • Peas
  • Tomatoes

It’s time to celebrate seasonal foods: they give you the most flavor and nutritional value when they are the most affordable! Check out this interesting video by Melissa for more info about seasonal eating!

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