The Benefits of Seasonal Eating

Eating in season is one of the simplest ways to get more flavor and nutrition out of your produce budget – and to eat a wider variety of foods throughout the year without spending more. In this free nutritional education class, Kelsy Baker, MS, RDN of Sound Dietitians, LLC walks through why seasonal eating matters, what’s in season in Washington state, where to find it, and how to store and preserve what you buy. Hosted by Kristina Wigren of Stilly Valley Health Connections, this class is part of the free monthly Budget-Friendly Series – explore more in our free class recordings library.

What’s covered in this class:

• Why seasonal produce is worth it – peak-ripeness produce contains more vitamins and antioxidants than items shipped long distances; in-season items cost significantly less due to local abundance (zucchini swings from about 69 cents per pound in summer to nearly $3 in winter); and eating seasonally naturally rotates your diet across leafy greens in spring, berries in summer, squash in fall, and root vegetables in winter
• Where to find it – farmers markets (what vendors sell is always in season), grocery store weekly sales and “Grown in Washington” labels, frozen produce (as nutritious as fresh since it’s picked at peak), CSA subscription boxes, and food banks like Northwest Harvest; the USDA seasonal produce guide and Washington State Department of Agriculture charts are highlighted as helpful tools
• Budget strategies – shop farmers markets near closing time when vendors will often bargain; buy “seconds” (imperfect produce sold cheaply) for soups and smoothies; stagger ripeness when buying to reduce waste; and use the Washington State SNAP Market Match program, which doubles EBT dollars at participating farmers markets up to $25 per visit
• Storage tips by produce type – leafy greens in a damp paper towel in the crisper; berries unwashed until eating (washing triggers oxidation); tomatoes at room temperature until ripe; onions and potatoes in a cool dark spot away from the fridge; herbs stems-down in water or hung to air dry
• Preserving for year-round use – freezing is the easiest starting point (wash, dry, freeze on a cookie sheet, then bag and label); canning tomatoes, applesauce, jams, and pickles is more involved and a class is recommended first; dehydrating works well for apples, herbs, mushrooms, and peppers at low oven temperatures