Eating seasonally is a fantastic way to complement any healthy eating or weight loss plan. Choosing produce that is ripe for the picking (literally) generally means you’ll end up with fruit and vegetables that are fresher and taste better.
If taste wasn’t reason enough, seasonally picked selections may even have higher levels of nutrients, making them one of the best foods for healthy weight loss! This is due to the fact that the plant (and its healthy compounds) is allowed to remain snugly encased in nutrient rich soil, feasting off the rays of the sun, and is only picked or harvested when ready.
Traditionally, fruits and vegetables would only have been eaten when they were in-season, and ready to be harvested. It would have been unthinkable to eat a watermelon in winter. Today however, with the introduction of something called ‘macro farming’, where crops can be harvested all year round, we are able to top up our fruit bowls, veggie crispers (and Healthy Mummy smoothies) with anything that takes our fancy, regardless of the time of year.
This is wonderful for providing a large selection of mouth-watering favourites, but when you consider the different substances sometimes used to keep a year round crop fruitful and how long the produce may have had to sit in storage before reaching the shelves, the appeal lessens slightly.
In Australia, it’s not uncommon for things like bananas and apples to be picked then placed in cold storage for up to 12 months, meaning that ‘nana you’re about to nosh down, may in fact be closer in age to your toddler!
Eating seasonally has other benefits, beyond nutrition and taste. Our bodies require a different balance of nutrients each season, think fruits with a high water content in summer to replace fluids lost in the heat and citrus like oranges and lemons in winter which just happen to contain super high levels of immune-boosting vitamin C.
So what does this all mean? Choosing a variety of fruit and vegetables is a crucial element of any healthy eating plan, and regardless of when your chosen snack was grown, it’s going to be a healthier choice than something high in sugar, salt, saturated fat and/or artificial flavours. If you can, choose seasonal, fresh produce. And don’t forget, things like the berries you’ll find in the cold section, or the veggies in the next freezer over, are actually snap frozen which means they retain a high level of their nutrients and can sometimes be a better option than choosing fresh but out of season produce.
5 quick ways with lime
- Spritz it into your salad dressing for a citrusy, low calorie zing. It’s particularly good with olive oil!
- Add to it your marinade. Fresh lime combines well with sweet and salty elements (things like honey and soy sauce), making it the perfect partner in a marinade. Bonus, it also tenderizes meat due to its high acid content. (Try our Baked Thai Salmon recipe to see what we mean!)
- Combine sparkling water, ice and 1.5 limes for a refreshing summer drink. Perfect for those with a baby on board, especially when the temperature starts to soar.
- Guacamole just isn’t guacamole without a healthy helping of lime juice. Check out our guacamole recipe here for a delicious, healthy snack or spread.
- Squeeze it into your Healthy Mummy smoothie. Great for firing up your metabolism and gives your morning a bit of tropical flavour. Try this delicious Pina/Berry Colada smoothie recipe and thank us later.
If you are ready to lose weight then the Lose Baby Weight plans offer a healthy and safe exercise and diet routine that are safe in breastfeeding
And don’t forget to check out our current promotions and discounts page to see what specials we have on this week on our Healthy Mummy product range.
