Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy and sustainable diet .
It is no coincidence that the Guidelines for a Healthy Diet recommend consuming at least 5 daily portions of fruit and vegetables, preferably seasonal ones.
Today, when we go shopping at the supermarket, we have before us a vast variety of fruit and vegetables available all year round. Strawberries, peaches, kiwis, grapes, apples are just a few examples of fruit that we can find both in summer and winter. It is important to remember, however, that plant products follow seasonal cycles and, consequently, it should not be normal to find strawberries in the month of December! In fact, the climate marks the natural cycles of growth, ripening and harvesting for fruit and vegetables. It is therefore essential to know these cycles to guide our choices. Not only are seasonal products less expensive , because they do not require the same costs as greenhouse cultivation or long transports from areas where the climate still allows them to grow, but, more importantly, they are undoubtedly more nutritious .
The nutritional value of fruit and vegetables is in fact highest immediately after harvesting and gradually decreases over time during refrigeration, transportation and storage.
Another thing not to be underestimated is that buying seasonal products is a more environmentally friendly habit . "Out of season" products are often grown in greenhouses or transported from areas where they are seasonal products. In both cases we have highly polluting greenhouse gas emissions, use of pesticides and waste due to not always good yields.
We can therefore say that choosing seasonal products is convenient: it allows us to eat in a healthier and tastier way, it allows us to save money, and it is also good for our planet.
If we talk about children, it becomes immediately clear that seasonal fruits and vegetables cannot be missing from their diet. And it becomes even more important to pay attention to what type of fruit or vegetable to choose.
To bring quality fruit and vegetables to the table, you need to pay a little attention when shopping and know the seasonality of the various products. Their cyclicity varies from month to month and it is good for children to learn that each plant produces its fruit only in a certain period of the year. And that they cannot eat strawberries all year round, for example. A concept that will certainly be easier to explain if you show them trees and vegetable gardens.
With spring on the way, let’s welcome March fruits and vegetables, which will provide us with the essential nutrients to face the change of seasons properly!
March fruits and vegetables offer numerous health benefits. They are rich in diuretic properties, antioxidants and substances essential for the immune system, such as vitamins and minerals. These help us stay healthy and purify the body from harmful substances. So we will be ready to enjoy the next picnics and outdoor barbecues!
Here is the fruit of March:
- Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, lemons, mandarins, tangerines, citrons, clementines. They are rich in vitamin C, which helps us prevent the flu and strengthen our body's defenses.
- Kiwi: it is excellent for the intestines and heart, and helps the immune system thanks to vitamin C.
- Apples : Rich in fiber and other nutrients, they regulate blood sugar and protect the heart.
- Pears : They are low in calories and rich in vitamins B1, B2 and A, which help keep skin young.
Among the vegetables we find:
- Green leafy vegetables such as beets, chard, broccoli, artichokes, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, chicory, turnip tops, radicchio, spinach . The new additions are agretti, which have purifying, diuretic and antioxidant properties thanks to vitamin C.
- Carrots : rich in beta-carotene, they help protect against infections, slow down cellular aging and combat oxidative stress.
- Potatoes : provide energy with starches and sugars, help detoxify thanks to magnesium and potassium, and the presence of vitamin B6 helps regulate the nervous system.
