Is sustainability is important to you? Then this is your time of year.
It’s beginning of harvest time for much of North America, allowing you to practice sustainability at your dinner table by shopping local for fruits and vegetables.
It took far less energy and resources for the locally grown produce you choose at your farmers market or fruit stand to make it from the field to your home than the off-season offerings at your supermarket because they require minimal shipping and warehousing.
Make it even more sustainable by heading to U-pick farms where they let you do the harvesting. (Plus, you can sample the product while you work!)
Fresh is best
As a bonus, you’ll be eating better, too. Fresh produce has more nutrients than items that have been stored for days and shipped across the country.
In fact, studies show that the vegetables you see on the grocery store shelves probably have half the nutrients they did when they were picked.
Sweet and sour
So, what’s in season where you live? June means juicy, sweet strawberries for much of the country, as well as tart rhubarb. These come together nicely in strawberry-rhubarb pies, but strawberry shortcake is universal favorite for those who prefer to pass on rhubarb.
Making them last
Nothing beats picking a sun-warmed strawberry and popping it in your mouth. But if you plan to keep them around for a few days, try washing them in a vinegar and water bath and storing them between layers of paper towel so they don’t touch.
That will help prevent mold and mush. If they manage to stick around even longer, consider freezing them for smoothies or making jellies and jams.
You’re still reaping those sustainability benefits months later when you spread homemade preserves on your morning toast.
Going green
June is also when lettuce, peas, peapods, salad greens, radishes, collard greens, mustard and green onions are ready. Beets show up in the middle of the month, and you might see a little broccoli, kale and onions near the end, depending where you live.
If those greens need a little more zip, look for the fresh herbs making their way to farmers markets or consider growing them yourself. They do well in containers on your porch, and many will be ready for snipping all summer long, including chives, dill, mint, oregano, parsley, sage and thyme.
Good for you
The World Health Organization recommends consuming five to nine servings per day of fruits and vegetables each day, and all this colorful food is great for achieving that goal. It will help boost your antioxidant and phytonutrient intake, too.
Plus, all those fresh fruits and vegetables will taste better this month than they will at any other time of the year.
Does your busy lifestyle make it difficult to get your daily dose of fruits and vegetables, whether they are in season or not? Consider a nutritional supplement to help fill the gaps, such as Nutrilite™ Double X™ Vitamin/Mineral/Phytonutrient Supplement or Nutrilite™ Concentrated Fruits and Vegetables. Learn more at the website for Amway US or Amway Canada.
