Many people wonder why they should eat seasonally. Aside from being lighter on the wallet, eating seasonally promotes local businesses, provides fresher produce and can be healthier for you in some circumstances. 

If you order our DNA nutrition test, we’ll recommend several fresh vegetables and fruits that best mirror your unique genetic makeup. This guide will show you how to put those recommendations into practice, no matter what time of year it is.

Studies have shown freshly-picked, in-season produce can contain more nutrients than frozen or canned. A diet rich in fresh vegetables and fruits can have a wide range of benefits including lower blood pressure and reduced risk of heart disease. Some less-starchy fruits and vegetables such as apples and salad greens may even promote weight loss. 

This isn’t to say frozen and canned produce don’t have their place. Some studies have proven vegetables and fruits that are frozen or canned at their pique ripeness maintain most of their nutritional value. 

Nonetheless, following a seasonal, personalized food guide is the best way to promote good health, support local farmers, and savour delicious produce when it’s at its peak.

Eating seasonally in winter can be tough—at least further north. Fortunately, there are a few fruits and vegetables that are harvested even as temperatures dip below 0. For example, you may find the produce aisle lined with potatoes, rutabaga, leeks, and winter squash. On top of these hardy legumes, citrus fruits such as oranges and clementines are in season further south and are widely shipped across North America. 

• Citrus
• Chestnuts
• Rutabaga
• Leeks
• Winter squash
• Chard
• Turnips
• Brussel Sprouts

Spring is the season where you’ll start to see more fresh produce available, including fruits and popular greens. Apricots, avocados, celery, carrots, and asparagus are all readily available in North American grocery stores. Herbs will also begin to thrive in the warming climate adding complexity to salads, stews, and even some desserts.

• Asparagus
• Artichoke
• Celery
• Carrots
• Apricots
• Avocados
• Pineapple
• Rhubarb

Summer is one of our favorite times of the year. This is when you’ll have access to the widest range of fresh fruits, vegetables, and salad mixes. Berries, peaches, and plums explode when bitten. Crisp broccoli, zucchini, and green beans are so flavorful they can be eaten raw. Meanwhile, vine-ripened tomatoes are blood red with noticeably sweet and tart notes.

• Berries
• Peaches
• Plums
• Tomatoes
• Broccoli
• Cucumber
• Green beans
• Zucchini
• Peppers

Fall is brimming with complex and aromatic fruits and vegetables like sumptuous figs, earthy sweet potatoes, meaty mushrooms, and robust squash. This is the best season for cooking sweet and savory meals, as well as harvesting the rest of your produce.

• Apples
• Figs
• Grapes
• Pears
• Squash
• Pumpkin
• Cauliflower
• Garlic
• Mushrooms
• Potatoes
• Sweet potatoes

GenoPalate offers safe at-home DNA testing to help identify the foods best suited to your unique genetic makeup. To learn more about the science behind our DNA nutrition test click here. Otherwise, begin your genomic nutrition journey today.