Now that I have two toddlers in the house, I really want to get more variety into our diets. Like most families, we have certain foods that we tend to buy over and over. That really is great for keeping the grocery bill down, but it’s not so great for little growing bodies and keeping us as adults healthy. For that reason, I have made it a goal this year to be more intentional about trying new foods.
© nadyatess / Dollar Photo Club
The best way to start eating a variety of foods is to start buying produce in season. When you buy produce in season, it is often cheaper than it would be other times in the year. Eating in season also means the produce you are eating is at the height of its nutrition. It often tastes better to eat in season, too.
Think of the last time you ate an orange in the summer. Wasn’t as sweet and delicious as one you can eat in the winter, right? Same with pretty much all the produce you will find on the list below. Of course, there are the foods that are available year-round, like onions, garlic, and potatoes, but try to use those less often when they are not in season.
This post will be the first of four that I will publish this year. Each season, I will make a new list of the foods that are in season so you and I can help our families eat better year-round.
How does that sound? Are you going to join me?
Winter Produce
Base your meal plan off what is in season in your area. At the bottom of the post, I will list the websites where I got the information for what is in season in winter. These sites are mainly intended for the United States.
Apples
Beets
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Celery Root
Clementines
Collard greens
Dates
Fennel
Garlic
Grapefruit
Kale
Kiwi
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lemons
Mandarin oranges
Mushrooms
Onions
Oranges
Parsnips
Passion fruit
Pears
Persimmons
Pomegranate
Potatoes
Rutabagas
Shallots
Spinach
Sweet potatoes
Tangerines
Turnips
Winter squash
Ok, I know what you’re thinking. That is a lot of fruits and veggies, many of which I have never heard of or tasted in my life!
You wanna know something? There were even more, but I kept some off the list thinking that they would probably just scare you away! Haha.
The point is not to try every single one of these fruits and vegetables this winter. The point is to change things up a bit in your daily meal plan. To give your family more variety and better health.
Your kids may not like the way you serve turnips the first time, but that’s A-okay! You cannot expect anyone to enjoy a food that they have never tried before. Continue to offer foods that your family has turned up their noses at before, and eventually you will find some way to get it in their bodies. Sometimes it is the way we prepare a food that makes it taste more delicious, so if your family doesn’t like the way you served fennel the first time, try serving it a different way next time.
I personally have never seen or tasted a Persimmon in my life, but I’m determined to figure out a way to get it in my meal plan this winter a couple times. I don’t even know if it’s a vegetable or a fruit!
The best place to start if you have never tried a specific fruit or vegetable before is just googling it. Or look for it on Pinterest. For sure, you should be able to find a great recipe without much effort. I just took 2 seconds to look up Celery Root on Pinterest, and this pin came up with the most delicious looking Cauliflower and Celery Root Soup with Roasted Garlic I’ve ever seen!
You can do this! If you need some encouragement, just email me. We’re in this together!
What winter produce have you never heard of before?
Resources:
What Fruits and Vegetables Are in Season During Winter? from Fruits and Veggies: More Matters
Winter Fruits and Vegetables from About Food
What’s in Season? A Guide to Seasonal Food in Britain
Seasonal Food Guide from Sustainable Table
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