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What produce is in season in September?

What produce is in season in September?

If you’ve ever hesitated at the grocery store because you didn’t know going into fall what fruits and veggies were going to be delicious and which were going to be gross, this article is for you. Of course, “gross” is an exaggeration, but we’ve all purchased produce that was clearly out of season. These fruits and vegetables may look beautiful, but just don’t taste their best. They might be dry or grainy. Plus, out of season produce is usually more expensive, meaning you’re paying more money for less-than-delicious produce. But fear not! Here’s your September guide for what fruits and vegetables are in season. Use this list to plan your shopping list — and your menu — and you’ll be enjoying juicy, nutritious, perfectly ripe produce the whole month long. Apples You know fall is right around the corner because apples have arrived. Learn how to cook and can your…

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Seasonal

What’s in season in August?

Can you believe it’s already August? Summer is in full swing as evident by all of the delicious fruits and vegetables — Hello fresh berries! Yet, we can’t help but notice the fall crops starting to creep in (We’re looking at you apples!). Despite our growing anxiety that summer is slipping away all-too-soon, it’s hard not to fall in love with August produce. So many fruits make it easy to satisfy your sweet tooth the healthy way. Plus, all of those zucchinis and tomatoes make dinner a breeze. So what should you be being in August? Take this list to the grocery store and pick up some of these in-season fruits and veggies: Apples Some apples are already hitting the shelves, but in just a week or two markets and stores will have bushels of the brand new crop. Enjoy as a snack, in a dessert, in a salad —…

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Eating for smoother, healthier summer skin

eating for healthier skin

Long summer days are made for backyard barbecues, poolside picnics, and rosé all day. But all of that sunshine can have real consequences for your skin. The good news is that there are tons of delicious foods you can eat to help your skin recover from all of the summer excess — and also keep your complexion glowing long after the warm-weather has faded.  “There’s a big impact on how much your diet can effect the health of your skin,” said Dr. Ivy Lee, M.D., a dermatologist in private practice in Pasadena, California and clinical assistant professor at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. “What we’ve learned is that whatever is good for your heart health is good for your skin as well.”  That means farm-fresh fruits and veggies, healthy fats and plenty of water. But it’s just as much of what you don’t eat as what you do.…

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June: What produce is in season?

June: What produce is in season?

The most obvious sign of summer? A plethora of gorgeous, local produce available. With temperatures on the rise and longer days, June’s harvest is full of colorful variety. In-season produce always tastes better and is almost always cheaper, so there is really no reason not to stock up on all the healthy, tasty options in season right now. Asparagus Asparagus is still in season but enjoy it now. The crop varies from year to year, but usually by the end of the month it’s difficult to find tender asparagus. Here’s how to cook asparagus four ways. Beets Get a healthy dose of fiber, folate, and vitamin C when you add beets to your diet. The earthy vegetable comes in season this month and sticks around through December, so you have plenty of time to try them roasted, in salads, juices, and more. Broccoli Broccoli is a sun-loving cool-weather crop, so…

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What’s in season in May? A guide to spring produce

What's in season in May? A guide to spring produce

The list of in season fruits and vegetables starts to lengthen in May as weather turns warmer for even the northernmost states. Citrus is on its way out, along with cool weather crops, but most of the country can now enjoy spring icons like asparagus and rhubarb. Southern and western states start to welcome summer produce like berries and cherries. Asparagus We really only get good asparagus for about two months of the year, so enjoy it all the time now, while you can. Try this asparagus tart with strawberry salsa for the ultimate spring brunch. Or go back to the basics with 4 ways to cook asparagus. Cabbage Cabbage comes back in season this month. This hearty vegetable can handle frost, but not heat. So even if we get a late-season frost, the cabbage crop still stays strong, but cabbage heads (which are mostly water) will expand and split…

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The 2019 Dirty Dozen reveals fruits and vegetables with most pesticides present

The 2019 Dirty Dozen revels fruits and vegetables with most pesticides present

Exactly how safe is that produce in your kitchen? The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently released its annual “Dirty Dozen” report naming the fruits and vegetables contaminated with the highest number of pesticides — and the list is full of everyday, household favorites. The EWG analyzed data from the United States Department of Agriculture. Overall, the USDA found 225 different pesticides on the common fruits and veggies Americans eat everyday. The tests were conducted before produce was washed or peeled — which shows that simple washing isn’t enough to eliminate pesticides from your produce. As a reminder, researchers have long-warned us that consuming pesticides can lead to a number of health issues including cancer and low fertility. Some fruits and vegetables that appear on the 2019 Dirty Dozen list are regulars (hello again, strawberries), but some are newcomers to the pesticide-laden list of shame. This year, kale seems to be…

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This is the best way to wash pesticides off your fruit and vegetables, study shows

This is the best way to wash pesticides off your fruit and vegetables, study says

If you splash your fruits and veggies with a little water and consider them clean, you might want to step your game up. It turns out there is only one way that will get rid of the dangerous pesticides coating them. According to a 2017 study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, removal of pesticide residues from fresh produce is important to reduce the risk of exposure. Pesticides have been linked to a number of health problems in humans including everything from headaches to respiratory problems to cancer. So what’s the best way to rid your produce of these unwanted chemical residues? Scientists for the study applied three different washing methods to a bunch of Gala apples — Clorox bleach, baking soda, and plain tap water. They tracked the pesticide levels throughout the study and found that apples soaked in a baking soda and water solution for…

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Organic foods reduce your risk of certain cancers, study shows

Organic foods reduce your risk of certain cancers, study shows

If you’re still not a believer in organic food, consider a new study that suggests it can save you from some cancers. The study, published earlier this week in JAMA Internal medicine, found that those who frequently ate organic foods, had an overall lower risk of developing cancer. Specifically, those who primarily consumed organic foods where more likely to ward off postmenopausal breast cancer and non-Hodgkin Lymphoma than those who rarely or never ate organic. The study looked at the diets of 68,946 French adult volunteers. Researchers divided them into four groups depending on how often they said they ate organic foods including fruits and vegetables, meat and fish, ready-to-eat meals, vegetable oils and condiments, dietary supplements and other products. Participants were checked on, about four and a half years later. During that time, the volunteers developed 1,340 cancers. Breast cancer being the most common (459), followed by prostate cancer…

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Get relief from the heat with these 10 hydrating fruits and vegetables

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According to the old rule of thumb, the average adult is supposed to drink 8 glasses of water every day. Some days that can seem downright impossible — and oh so bland! But here’s a tip for your water woes: You don’t have to drink all of that water. On a typical day, 20 percent or more of our water intake comes from solid foods like fruits and vegetables. While it’s still incredibly important to drink enough water, try incorporating some of these snacks into your daily routine. You’ll be checking off a few dietary boxes since all foods listed below are at least 90 percent water and they offer various other nutritional benefits, as well. Cucumbers 96.7% water Cucumbers have the highest water content of any solid food, so they are perfect for summer salads on those sweltering days you can’t seem to stomach much else. Try mixing with watermelon and red onions…

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Eat more fruits and vegetables to reduce risk of breast cancer, researchers say

As if you didn’t have enough reasons to eat your fruits and vegetables, a new Harvard study shows that women who get their daily servings, or more, have a lower risk of breast cancer, especially aggressive tumors, than those who eat fewer servings of fruits and veggies. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, and yellow and orange vegetables, had a very strong link to lower risk of breast cancer. In the study, lead by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, researchers analyzed diet questionnaires from the Nurses’ Healthy Study (88,301 women, starting in 1980) and the Nurses’ Health Study II (93,844 women, starting in 1991). They found that women who ate 5.5 servings of fruit and vegetables each day had an 11% lower risk of developing breast cancer than those who ate 2.5 servings or fewer. (A serving is defined as one cup of raw, leafy vegetables, a half…

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