Some of the most common disorders caused by a weak immune system are due, according to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), to a lack of micronutrients due to a diet poor in vitamins and minerals due to reduced consumption of fruits and vegetables.
So the habit of taking five servings of fruit and vegetables a day is of vital importance. And if they are also seasonal, much better because they have great benefits for the people who taste them and for our own ecosystem.
1.-Greater flavor and juiciness; There is an incredible difference between the taste of fruit in season and fruit that is collected out of season. And is that, by not being kept in refrigerators, the seasonal fruit maintains its flavor and juiciness. When harvested at its optimum ripeness point, it is tastier than that which has been harvested green adn ripen while transported in refrigerated containers.
2.- Seasonal fruit and vegetables offer us what we need. And it is that nature is wise. In winter we need more doses of vitamin C to strengthen the immune system and therefore in winter agriculture offers us oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, cauliflower, kiwis.
In summer we need more hydration and frouits that contain more water such as watermelon, melon, pear or those rich in beta-carotene to protect our skin such as carrots or mangoes.
3.-They help the sustainability of the agri-food system. Consuming local fruits and vegetables in season helps to respect the cycle of nature, which means caring for the environment. Consuming a fruit that we now have in our agricultural fields, and that does not have to be imported from other latitude and weather conditions, avoids having to emit a greater amount of CO2 into the atmosphere.
And if it is also collected at the optimal time, it has not needed a cold room and therefore energy consumption has been reduced. On the other hand, it helps to respect the natural production cycle, being more ecological and respectful with the environment.
4.-More nutrients and vitamins. Fresh fruit, freshly collected and consumed, preserves its nutritional properties much better since they are totally natural. They are harvested at the optimum time of rippening, so vitamins and minerals are at their peak.
5.- Best price. It is the one with the best price for the shopping basket, because in order for there to be products out of season, on many occasions they must be imported from more distant areas or countries. Therefore, seasonal fruit does not have the added transport of bringing it from other parts of the planet.
6.- You can use it to make better preserves. In addition to eating these foods at their best, you can prepare them in a better way in homemade and dehydrated preserves. And it’s an ideal way to continue enjoying those fruits and vegetables for the rest of the year. In addition, you will have taken advantage of the best flavor and the best price.
In these calendars made by the OCU, you can check which are the seasonal fruits and vegetables, according to the time of year in which you are.
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