Strawberry season is coming!
Eating fruits and vegetables that are locally grown and in season has many benefits:
The environmental impact is lessened as our food doesn't have to travel long distances to reach our tables. Transportation emits more than half of nitrogen oxides in our air, and is a major source of global warming emissions and other compounds known, or suspected, to cause cancer or other serious health and environmental effects.
It saves you money. The more abundant the supply the more likely the prices will be lower. Fruits and vegetables that have traveled for thousands of miles may be more expensive.
Nutrition and Taste: Local produce is picked at its ripeness peak! The flavour and nutritional value are without a question more elevated than those fruits or vegetables that have to be harvested early, transported and ripen in a cardboard box and sprayed with a coating to prevent spoiling.
I encourage you to check what is in season where you live and add those fruits and vegetables to your shopping list.
If you are in Ontario, Canada, then you are probably as excited as I am for Strawberry season! Strawberries are packed with vitamin C (aka immune’s system best friend) and minerals that provide their antioxidant and anti-Inflammatory properties.
Beware that strawberries are at the top of the Dirty Dozen List provided by the EWG, as one of the crops with the highest pesticides residues, “including chemicals that have been linked to cancer and reproductive damage, or that are banned in Europe”, hence it is recommended to buy them certified organic whenever possible. You can read all about the Dirty Dozen here: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/strawberries.php
And to get you started eating more fruits and veggies in season here is a delicious recipe for a Baked Strawberry Rhubarb Oatmeal:
Serves 4
(270 calories per serving, fat 10 g, carbs 47 g, protein 7g)
Ingredients:
2 cups Strawberries (sliced)
1 cup Rhubarb (diced)
3 tbsps Maple Syrup (divided)
3/4 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
1 Egg
1 1/2 cups Oats
2 tsps Cinnamon
1/3 cup Pecans (chopped)
1/4 cup raisins
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375ºF (191ºC). Place strawberries, rhubarb and half your maple syrup in a mixing bowl. Toss well and spread across the bottom of a lightly greased square baking pan.
In another mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, egg and remaining maple syrup. Stir in the oats, raisins and cinnamon. Stir until well mixed.
Pour the oat mixture evenly across the strawberry and rhubarb in the pan. Sprinkle chopped pecans across the top and bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Enjoy while it's hot!
Recipe adapted from That Clean Life.