While March brings forth Women’s History Month and the Youth Art Month, it also offers our first burst of fresh and in-season fruits and vegetables of the year.
Why the importance on “seasonal” fruits and vegetables?
While one can can always find tomatoes, leafy greens, and essential fruits at the local grocery store, it does not always mean that it’s “fresh.” That limp head of lettuce may not have been grown nearby. It may have traveled thousands of miles across the globe and picked over a week before landing in your fridge. By this time these delicate living organisms have diminished in nutritional value, and flavor.
The main benefit of eating local, in-season produce, is the gift of maximum nutrition. In addition, you are investing in, and supporting, your community by purchasing from local farmers. Lastly, you drastically reduce your carbon footprint by not having your food shipped across the continent.
Lastly, purchasing in season fruits and vegetables just taste better! They are fresh so they are typically riper and more crisp than products that sat in a crate for days on end. Some of the best places to pick these in season fruits and vegetables is at your neighborhood farmers market. It’ll give you a chance to compare freshness from different farms, and also give you the chance to talk directly with the growers.
Here are a list of 20 in-season fruits and vegetables you should add to your grocery list for the month of March.
1. Carrots
2. Brussels Sprouts
3. Pears
4. Artichokes
5. Grapefruit
6. Oranges
7. Tangerines
8. Lemons
9. Celery
10. Apples
11. Cabbage
12. Strawberries
13. Asparagus
14. Broccoli
15. Spinach
16. Greens
17. Potatoes
18. Beets
19. Cauliflower
20. Radishes