Do you eat seasonally?
I do my best to – not only because it is easier on the wallet, but more sustainable and to be honest, delicious. When you eat in season, you are choosing the foods that are at their peak in ripeness and goodness. You aren’t paying for produce that is shipped from crazy locations around the world in order to meet demand (thus, costing you more and negatively impacting the environment).
Here is a full list of what’s in season throughout all seasons, if you are interested. But today, I wanted to share what I personally gravitate towards during the winter months and how I use these ingredients in the kitchen. I’ll also be sharing some dried goods / pantry items that I like to have on hand to complement seasonal produce.
Produce In Season
I tend to stock my fridge with the following:
- Apples
- Avocado
- Bananas
- Broccoli rabe
- Brussels Sprouts
- Butternut squash
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Celery
- Dates
- Kale
- Lemons
- Limes
- Onions
- Oranges
- Pears
- Pomegranates
- Potatoes (white and sweet)
- Pumpkin
- Yams
Something to note: Fruit in the winter can seem rather boring, especially if you love tropical fruits or berries (like me). I tend to stick with apples, pears, oranges, pomegranates, and bananas. I don’t feel great about buying berries in the winter, mostly because they are expensive and don’t taste great! Instead, I stock up on frozen berry varieties to top on oatmeal, use in smoothies, etc. Frozen fruit (and canned) is harvested during peak season, so you know you are getting it at its best. I much prefer frozen to canned, but with a toddler, I do keep canned on hand, as well.
Pantry Essentials
To complement the above and keep warm and cozy meals a-plenty, I keep the below stocked in the pantry:
- Canned coconut milk
- Cashews
- Chia seeds
- Crushed tomatoes (canned)
- Dried beans / legumes
- Ground flaxseed
- Freekeh
- Jam
- Jarred roasted red peppers
- Lentils
- Nut butters (almond and peanut butter)
- Nutritional yeast
- Oats
- Pasta varieties
- Pecans
- Pepitas
- Popcorn kernels
- Quinoa
- Ramen
- Rice
- Textured vegetable protein
- Tomato paste (canned)
- Unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder
- Veggie stock
- Walnuts
Meal Ideas
Breakfasts:
- Carrot cake oats
- Chocolate banana overnight oats
- Chocolate chia pudding
- Cinnamon apple oats
- Cocoa oats with warm berries
- Lemon ginger scones
- Pomegranate scones
- Sweet potato breakfast bowl
- Sweet potato and kale hash
- Sweet potato hash with chickpeas, brussels sprouts, and avocado
Lunches/Dinners:
- Apple chickpea salad sandwich
- Broccoli rabe pasta
- Chickpea noodle soup
- Coconut harvest bisque
- Coconut lentil stew
- Freekeh soup
- Garlicky cabbage pasta
- Garlicky kale and beans
- Glow soup
- Lemon chickpea spaghetti
- Lentil stew
- Loaded sweet potato with kale, pecans, quinoa, and tahini
- Potato chickpea curry
- Roasted red pepper pasta with kale
- Roasted squash and sweet potato soup
Sweets:
- Apple cider donuts
- Apple crisp
- Apple pie
- Butternut squash loaf
- Candied nuts
- Date and peanut butter candy
- Pumpkin loaf
- Pumpkin pie pudding
Misc:
I hope this was insightful and gave you some ideas for a seasonal meal rotation. xx bianca
