Should You Eat Fresh, Organic Produce Year Round?

What’s in Season Year Round?

If you see one mentioned during several seasons, it can mean that different varieties are harvested during different times of the year. This is especially true with pears and apples.

Fall:

• Apples
• Beets
• Bell Peppers
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Collard Greens
• Cranberries
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Grapes
• Green Beans
• Kale
• Kiwifruit
• Lemons
• Lettuce
• Limes
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Parsnips
• Pears
• Peas
• Potatoes
• Pumpkin
• Radishes
• Raspberries
• Rutabagas
• Spinach
• Sweet Potatoes & Yams
• Swiss Chard
• Turnips
• Winter Squash

Winter:

• Apples
• Avocados
• Beets
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Celery
• Collard Greens
• Grapefruit
• Kale
• Kiwifruit
• Leeks
• Lemons
• Limes
• Onions
• Oranges
• Parsnips
• Pears
• Potatoes
• Pumpkin
• Rutabagas
• Sweet Potatoes & Yams
• Swiss Chard
• Turnips
• Winter Squash

Spring

• Apples
• Apricots
• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Celery
• Collard Greens
• Garlic
• Kale
• Kiwifruit
• Lemons
• Lettuce
• Limes
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Peas
• Pineapples
• Radishes
• Rhubarb
• Spinach
• Strawberries
• Swiss Chard
• Turnips

Summer

• Apples
• Apricots
• Avocados
• Beets
• Bell Peppers
• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Cantaloupe
• Carrots
• Celery
• Cherries
• Corn
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Garlic
• Green Beans
• Honeydew Melon
• Lemons
• Lima Beans
• Limes
• Mangos
• Okra
• Peaches
• Plums
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Summer Squash
• Tomatillos
• Tomatoes
• Watermelon
• Zucchini

Ways to Enjoy Produce Year Round

According to the 2015-2020 dietary guidelines for Americans, 90% of Americans don’t eat enough vegetables on a daily basis, and 85 percent don’t consume enough fruit. It’s certainly enjoyable to be able to get your hands on fresh produce all year long, but regardless of the form – fresh, frozen, canned or dried—fruits and vegetables are associated with a multitude of health benefits.

Many studies have confirmed that increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables can help reduce the risk of chronic disease. Research has found that if just half of all Americans increased their consumption of a fruit or a vegetable by one serving each day, 20,000 cancer cases could be prevented annually.

If you can’t get your hands on fresh produce, you can still reap the benefits of produce by purchasing canned or frozen.

Or if you have extra seasonal produce you can try your hand at in-home canning or freezing extras. When shopping for canned vegetables, look for those labelled as “no added salt” or “low sodium.” If those aren’t available you can reduce the sodium in things like canned beans by 40 percent just by rinsing them.

To minimize added sugar in canned fruit, look for fruit canned in their own juices or in extra-light or light syrup.

When shopping for frozen vegetables, make sure the vegetable name is the only one listed on the label. Avoid those with sauces, butter, or any other high-calorie flavorings. When shopping for frozen fruit, read the ingredient list to make sure no sugar was added and that the name of the fruit is all you see under the ingredient list.

You don’t have to opt to use fresh only or frozen only. By using a combination of fresh, frozen, canned or dried you can get the most health benefits and flavors year round.

Organic vs Conventional Produce

Research shows that there is no nutritional different between organic and conventional produce. The nutrients found in fruits or vegetables, for example, varies on numerous factors such as weather conditions and state of ripeness, not on whether it is organic or conventionally grown. Furthermore, a 2016 study shows that recommending organic-only produce can deter low-income individuals from purchasing any fruits and vegetables. They can’t afford to buy organic and they are too scared to purchase conventional as they’re afraid it is harmful. As such, they avoid produce completely.

And what about pesticide residue in conventionally grown fruits and vegetables? A study found that substituting organic forms of fruits and vegetable for conventional forms didn’t result in any decrease in risk to consumers as pesticide residue on conventional produce is just so low, if present at all.

Also, the USDA and FDA conducted a sampling program where they tested the residue of foods. The results showed that 99.5% of the samples tested had pesticide residue below the standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and 22% had no detectible amount of pesticide residue at all.

To check out how much pesticide residue your fresh produce has, there is a really good pesticide residue calculator from the Alliance of Food and Farming that can put it into perspective. For example, a man could consume 635 servings of strawberries (that’s 635 cups or 5,080 strawberries!) in one day without any effect even if the strawberries have the highest pesticide residue recorded for strawberries by USDA.

As most Americans don’t meet their daily recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, it’s highly unlikely anyone will ever come close to eating that amount.

Bottom Line:

Most people don’t meet their daily recommended fruit and vegetable recommendation. If you choose to eat fresh, then be prepared to make more trips to the market as fresh has a shorter shelf life. However, you can also reap the benefits of fruits and vegetables by choosing frozen, canned, and dried. The choice is ultimately yours.