Nutrition vs Seasonal??

[sarena kopciel]

I know what I chose but am curious as to what others do and/or believe to be best. Many say to limit fruit consumptions and remain low glycemic when eating fruits. Check! But then I hear to eat berries as they are one of the better options fruit-wise/nutritionally.

My thoughts are though for a New Yorker who doesnt have access to fresh, organic berries and must rely on frozen and out of season, am I not better off with say a pear or apple that is seasonal ? This can play out with any fruit and even veggies....

Comments please!

[Eric Kerr]

No CSAs in New York? http://www.localharvest.org/csa/ WFS

Haven't read the Zone book lately, but as I recall it recommended getting no more than 25% of your carb intake from higher glycemic index sources.

Read, get most of your carbs from veggies. Problem - that is a lot of veggies since most of the lower glycemic index sources are also low in carb content since a lot of it is water and undigestable fiber.

My understanding is that most frozen fruits and veggies are flash frozen quickly after harvesting and thus retain their nutrients well. Issue is that if grown under industrial farming practices, the soil is typically artifically rich in the big three minerals N, P, K, but it is lacking in trace elements.

Ideally then, eat seasonally and organically while being mindful of glycemic load.

Non-ideally, manage your glycemic load (don't go crazy with high glycemic index foods simply beacuse you can get them in-season) and take a good multi-vitamin supplement.

[sarena kopciel]

Eric, thank I do know all that and do buy/eat mostly in accordance to those principles. Was curious as to others thoughts on subject matter!!

personally I prefer to eat a local organic apple or pear in winter than say frozen berries when I am going to eat my one or two fruits a day!!

[Darryl Shaw]

The problem with eating seasonally is our bodies are designed to function best on foods that are seasonally available much closer to the equator than most of us live these days so I'm quite happy to eat fruit and berries flown in from half way round the world as it means my diet is closer to that eaten by our forebears than it would be if I limited myself to apples and pears.

[Robb Wolf]

Frozen is frequently fresher and more nutritious than what hits the supermarket. Good choice with regards to nutrition and price.

[Jordan Glasser]

The way I see this topic is this. If you live seasonally, then eat seasonally. Meaning, does your activity level change in from season to season? How about sleep? If you answer no to this question, then I believe it wouldn't be a wise approach to eat seasonally. Especially if you live in an area where vegetables and fruits are not readily available during the winter months.

I did try to eat seasonally, but living in whistler, I am more active in the winter months. I sleep less, work more, play harder, and found that limiting my carb sources hurt my performance. Using frozen berries, fresh broccoli, and some fruit were necessary to keep up with the increased demands on my body.

That was my experience.

[Eric Kerr]

I'm kind of with Jordan here. We've got electricity so almost no one lives in a truly seasonal manner.

I think of seasonal as trying to plan the menus of your current diet around seasonal food selections.

Spring - eat eggs
Summer - eat chicken
Fall - eat beef or pork

Insert whatever fruits and/or veggies that happen to be available in your area during the particular season.

I attached a list I found for the MO growing season. Okay, tried to attach it. I'll try again later.

[sarena kopciel]

Thanks