Every health class and pamphlet about eating well will tell you that fresh fruits and vegetables are a great addition to your diet. From a fresh green salad to start a meal, to strawberries on top of a little vanilla ice cream for dessert, fruits and vegetables are also incredibly flexible ingredients. However, fresh fruits and vegetables can get expensive. But don’t despair yet- there are still ways to get your fruits and vegetables without breaking the bank!
First off, one of the ways to get your fill of fruits and veggies is to shop seasonally. When farmers and grocery stores have a lot of a product, they usually lower prices in order to move it out the door more quickly. In fact, prices for some items can be 3 to 5 times higher when they aren’t in season. You can shop seasonally simply by taking a few minutes to browse the displays by the entry (first few produce stands) every time you enter a store. Additionally, if you have a little knowledge about your favorite fruits and vegetables, you can surely be more proactive in looking for these specific deals. (Additional hint: Some fruits and vegetables can be frozen for months! Look for upcoming posts on food preservation)
And now that it’s March, Spring is rapidly approaching, which means that some of the cooler weather foods will be available soon. But what are those? In Illinois, March is when the earliest crops of broccoli, cabbage, and lettuce are becoming available. Upcoming in April, asparagus, onions, and peas will be added to this list. May adds even more variety to this list, including: cherries, cucumbers, strawberries, rhubarb, and potatoes.
April is also a good time to start exploring local farmer’s markets. In Champaign-Urbana, there are two different farmer’s markets: Urbana’s Market at the Square (http://www.market-at-the-square.blogspot.com/ ) and Champaign’s Historic North First Street Market (http://thefarmersmarketonhistoricn1st.blogspot.com/ ). Though not always the cheapest option, sometimes the reduced transportation costs and a bumper crop can result in great deals. As an added bonus, the farmer’s markets usually have free entertainment or activities for children.
How about the rest of the year? Here is a quick summary of what produce to look for in Illinois at different times of the year.
June
- Veggies: Asparagus, Cabbage, Eggplant, Okra, Peas
- Fruits: Cherries, Strawberries, Rhubarb, Nectarines
July
- Veggies: Artichokes, Eggplant, Okra
- Fruits: Blackberries, Blueberries, Peaches, Raspberries, Nectarines, Strawberries, Rhubarb
August
- Veggies: Peppers, Corn, Eggplant, Summer Squash, Tomatoes
- Fruits: Melon, Nectarines, Peaches, Plums, Watermelon
September
- Veggies: Cucumbers, Corn, Eggplant, Okra, Peppers, Tomatoes
- Fruits: Asian Pears, Grapes, Rhubarb, Watermelon
October
- Veggies: Cabbage, Cauliflower, Onions, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Pumpkins
- Fruits: Apples, Pears
November
- Veggies: Broccoli, Cabbage, Onions, Peppers, Pumpkins, Spinach, Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Winter Squash
- Fruits: Apples
December, January, and February are usually too cold for big crops.
In addition to seasonal trends for fresh produce, other items in your grocery store also have seasonal trends. For example, many grocery stores try to get rid of excess stocks of frozen foods in March to make room for the new packaging and stocks that will come in as the growing season starts again. In April, many items in Easter packaging find themselves on sale shelves or with reduced prices. Also, April marks the beginning of the olive oil season, so last year’s crop will most likely be on sale, making it a great time to stock up!
Hopefully with a few tips about when to be on the lookout for good deals, we’ve given you some ideas about how to be a smarter shopper. Stay tuned for an upcoming post about the debate over the nutritional qualities of fresh, frozen, and canned foods.
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Healthy Eatings!
-Anth249 H
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