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Seasonal Fruit & Vegetables

Fruit and vegetables form a fundamental part of any healthy balanced diet, whether you are on the eurodiet™ or not. However, different fruit as and vegetables are synonymous with different seasons, for example:

Winter months: root vegetables, cabbages, and tubers

Summer months: citrus fruits, salad vegetables

Choosing fruits and vegetables that are typical of the season ensures that you are getting the freshest of produce with a higher nutritional value (particularly vitamins and minerals). Even though many fruits and vegetables are available all year round, it is important to note that eating them out of season could mean one or more of the following:

• The fruit and vegetables may have been selectively bred to be more hardy and ripen earlier which may compromise nutrient composition.
• The fruit and vegetables may have been artificially ripened in greenhouses which may also diminish nutrient quality.
• The fruit and vegetables may have been transported over great distances from abroad, diminishing freshness and maximising loss of nutrients during storage and transport.

Frozen, dried and canned fruits and vegetables may be appropriate out of season but bear in mind that some nutrients may be lost during processing, e.g. leakage during freezing and defrosting and loss through canning and drying.

The benefits of eating seasonally are that you can enjoy a variety of different foods rather than sticking to the same old things. This not only keeps things interesting but ensures you are eating your full complement of nutrients.

NB: Remember, one of the key aspects of the eurodiet™ program is the inclusion of selected fruits and vegetables. There are lists of permitted fruit and vegetables allowed for each phase. Due to the restriction it is even more imperative you incorporate as many varieties as you can appropriate for the season.