The Best Fruits and Vegetables to Eat This Season

Winter makes the world outside your window look white and gray. Luckily, winter cooking doesn’t have to be so monochromatic. There is a lot of colourful, delicious and healthy produce that you can eat now. Find out what fruits and vegetables should be in your kitchen this season:

Fruits That Are in Season
There may be nothing growing on the trees outside of your bedroom window, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of seasonal fruit ready to be grabbed at the grocery store. The next time you take a shopping trip, put citrus fruits like oranges, clementines, and grapefruit into your cart. They are great snacks to have around. They are rich in Vitamin C, which can boost your immunity and protect you from catching colds.

Another winter fruit that you should pick up is the pomegranate. You can enjoy the seeds on their own, or you can use them as a topping for green salads or breakfast bowls of oatmeal.

Vegetables That Are in Season
Your selection of fruit will be a little more limited in the winter than it will be in the spring or summer. But you will have a huge selection of winter vegetables to choose from.

Hearty root vegetables, like butternut squash, are really popular at this time of year. Butternut squash is low in calories and rich in nutrients like Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and manganese. It has health benefits like lowering blood pressure and lowering cholesterol levels. You can try this butternut squash soup recipe for your independent living lifestyle to warm you up on a chilly afternoon. Or add a cup of pureed squash to your muffin and brownie recipes to add rich flavour and some essential nutrients.

Here is a brief list of other vegetables that are in season:
Carrots
Potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Cabbage
Leeks
Beets
Rutabagas
Turnips
Brussel sprouts

Why Should You Focus on Seasonal Foods?
It’s true that you can go to the grocery store and find options that aren’t technically “in season.” You can find a case of strawberries or a bag of zucchini, even though they’re peaks are in the summer-time. But, you’ll be much happier picking up foods that are in season because they taste fresher and better. Shopping seasonally also supports local farms, greenhouses, and food-related businesses. Every time you stock up your refrigerator, you could be putting money back into the community.

The suites in our retirement centers come with kitchenettes that have cabinets and full-sized fridges where you can keep all of your produce fresh. You can use your suite’s kitchenette or the multi-purpose room to cook and bake your favourite recipes. And if you don’t feel like cooking yourself, you can enjoy dishes with these seasonal foods in the dining hall.

Click the links to find out more information about the kitchenettes and dining options in our nursing homes in Winnipeg, Ottawa senior residences, seniors housing Calgary, senior housing in Regina, and our London retirement living centres.

Get the most out of your groceries. Pick out the fruits and vegetables that are freshest and tastiest during the winter. That way, every meal that you make this season is guaranteed to be nutritious and delicious.