Fruits In Season Now and Why You Should Eat Them
How do you know what fruits to buy when you go to your local market to find so many options available to you?
While it wouldn’t be a bad idea to pick one of everything, if you can afford it, a trick that can help is to go for fruits in season.
Why?
Well, because, when you go to the market tomorrow, or four months after, there are still certain fruits like banana, that you’ll find in the market, but for some fruits, once they’re no longer in season, you won’t find them anymore, until next season.
I believe in seizing the opportunity and mostly eating fruits in season now.
Next question, what fruits are in season now?
Given that at the time this article is published we’re still in spring, here are some fruits in season now that you should eat.
Don’t worry, I’ll explain why you should eat them, I mean apart from the fact that they’ll soon be out of season of course. Keep reading!
What Are Some Fruits In Season Now?
- Mangoes
I’m sure I’m not the only one thrilled at how even more colorful the local market has become since the fall of the first mango fruit this year.
Not only are mangoes bright in their variety of colors, but they’re also delicious, packed with nutrients, and low in fat, which is a bonus for all you weight watchers out there.
One medium-sized mango contains:
135 calories
Fat – 0.56 g
Carb – 35.19 g
Protein – 1.06 g
Calcium – 21 mg
Iron – 0.27 mg
Potassium – 323 mg
Vitamin A – 79 mcg
Vitamin C – 57.3 mg
Mangoes also contain an antioxidant called zeaxanthin, which plays a protective role in the eyes, such as preventing macular degeneration.
Several research has also shown that the vitamins, potassium, and fiber content of mango play a role in preventing certain conditions such cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
They also show that eating mangoes can improve your skin and hair appearance, as vitamin C boosts collagen production and vitamin A boosts the amount of sebum secreted to add more moisture to your hair.
- Strawberries
Yep, your favorite dessert recipe is in season now, and it’s the best time to extract that bright red sweet juice that’s rich in vitamin C, manganese, iron, and potassium.
Also, if you’re thinking of preserving them so you can still enjoy them even when they’re out of season, collecting or buying them now that they’re very much available, turning them to dry fruit is a great idea.
Strawberries are also great fruits to eat if you want to keep off the weight as they are low in calories and fat, and are mainly composed of water.
A 100 g of collected strawberry is found to have:
32 calories
Water – 91%
Fat – 0.3 g
Protein – 0.7 g
Carbs – 7.7 g
Sugar – 4.9 g
Fiber – 2 g
Apart from being a great snack option for weight loss, strawberries are also great for improving heart health, lower blood sugar levels, and help prevent cancer.
These health benefits are of course not attributed only to the minerals and vitamins found in them, however, strawberries also contain a good amount of antioxidants such as ellagic acid, and procyanidins.
- Pineapple
Don’t know about you, but give me some pineapple anytime, any day, and fortunately, they’re there anytime any day, however, they’re more available in the spring, and even sweeter and richer in their nutritional content.
A full pineapple contains:
452 calories
Carbs – 119 g
Fat – 1 g
Protein – 5 g
Sodium – 9 mg
Potassium – 986 mg
Vitamin A – 10%
Vitamin C – 721%
Calcium – 12%
Iron – 15%
Pineapples are also rich in antioxidants called flavonols and phenols but contain trace amounts of phosphorus and zinc.
Studies have shown that by eating fresh pineapple, you do some good to your immune system, and digestive systems, with all these nutrients put together, pineapple can help reduce inflammation, and boost your immunity, thereby protecting you from chronic disease conditions, such as cancer, speed up your recovery time, and ease symptoms of arthritis.
Also, pineapples contain a group of digestive enzymes known as bromelain. While their major function is to aid digestion, bromelain also plays a role in reducing the risk of cancer, improving immunity, and reducing inflammation.
- Papaya
If you’re not a fan of papaya (pawpaw), you need to wake up, because you’re sleeping on it.
Papaya is so great its list of nutritional benefits is long, but I’ll cut it short for you.
First of, you should know that a medium size papaya contains:
120 calories
Carbs – 30 g
Protein – 2 g
Folate
Magnesium
Copper
Fiber
Pantothenic acid
Choline
Vitamin A
Vitamin B
Vitamin E
Vitamin K
Calcium
Potassium
They also contain beta-carotene and two powerful antioxidants; lycopene and zeaxanthin.
With all these nutrients, consuming papaya is great for preventing macular degeneration (zeaxanthine), and asthma, as well as reducing cancer risk (beta-carotene).
Vitamin K in papaya improves bone health, choline helps in neurological functions that is sleep, memory, and learning. Vitamin A helps to improve your hair health and potassium, your heart health.
Why You Should Eat Fruits That Are In Season Now
- They Are More Nutrient Dense
When you eat fruits in their season, you’re more at an advantage of enjoying their nutritional benefits than you are when you eat them off-season.
This is because fruits that are out of season have been stored or preserved for long and over time, the amount of nutrient they contain begin to reduce, but when in season, they’re at the peak of their nutritional availability.
- They Taste Better
Of course, if they’re nutrient-dense while in season, expect them to taste richer and sweeter. You can easily notice that in fruits like pineapple, they have more juice now that they’re in season, but as soon as spring is over…check out the difference yourself.
Not only do fruits taste better in their seasons, but they also look brighter and fresher, which is something you should exploit from the list of fruits in season now provided in this article.
- They’re More Affordable
What’s that law of economics again? The more the supply, the lesser the cost? I think that’s it.
This is totally true, especially in the fruit stall.
Why?
Because when you see fruits in your local market when they’re in season, chances are they were locally harvested, so when the salesman gives you a price, he’s not considering the cost of transport or the clearance fee at the immigration office, as he would if he was selling fruits that are out of season.
- Less Likely To Be Contaminated
Fruits in season now are less likely to be contaminated because they’re still fresh from harvest and they’re not internationally transported to your area, so you don’t have to worry about what chemical was used to preserve them or the storage method used.
Takeaway
Mangoes, pineapples, strawberries, and papaya, are the few fruits in season now, which means they’re more nutrient-dense, taste better, are less likely to be contaminated, and are sold at more affordable prices.
Of course, there are more fruits in season now, but while you’re yet to discover them, the list provided here is a great way to start.
Sources
6 Great Benefits Of Eating What’s in Season – Joe Cross www.rebootwithjoe.com
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