Eat Healthy: Seasonal Ingredients

Today there is a trend in haute cuisine that resembles that of the most rudimentary gastronomy: the use of seasonal products. There is nothing healthier than those ingredients that are in season.   Eating seasonally has many benefits. The whole concept is that ingredients, especially vegetables and fruits, are at their best nutritional version when they are in season. It is at that moment when their nutrients can be maximized and the same goes for flavor; there is no better time. Studies show that eating a fruit in season allows you to take advantage of three times more nutrients than at any other time of the year. This idea should be complemented by the fact that eating seasonal ingredients is even better if you eat local. The reason is simple: whether vegetable or meat, imported products are treated with preservatives and chemicals that, while not dangerous to health, do diminish some of their nutrients and natural flavors. It is understandable that many like Alaskan salmon because it is delicious and carries a significant load of Omega 3, but a trout from the State of Mexico or a lionfish from Quintana Roo can be just as beneficial for health. Speaking of cost, it is a much more effective way to eat. Seasonal food is abundant in certain months, and for that reason, the price goes down since demand is met with large quantities. On the other hand, it is very good for the variety of your cooking because if you learn to eat seasonally, then the dishes at home will change in aroma, texture, and flavor as the year goes by. Something very important to mention is the support for the environment that this way of eating represents. Eating local and seasonal means reducing the use of pesticide chemicals and preservatives. This is reflected in a much less prominent carbon footprint and in healthier eating. As if that weren't enough, it has been proven that seasonal food contains many fewer calories than its imported counterpart. If one switches to a strictly seasonal diet, then they start consuming around 20% fewer calories simply by eating market food instead of canned or packaged food. If you need one more reason: it is much more delicious. Food that grows in autumn never tastes better than in that season, and the same happens in summer, spring, and winter. Such ingredients are in vogue, and their flavor is exalted by the climate that allows them to grow. Anyone who has tried a mushroom soup or a mushroom salad in the rainy season, strawberries in spring, nuts in autumn, and sweet potatoes in winter cannot deny these arguments. How to know what is in season each time? It’s easy; you just have to go to the market and simply see and talk to the different vendors. That’s how you get the best product for the best price.   Recipes for Each Season Spring Strawberry Cream Cake Ingredients: - 1 box of vanilla cake mix - 2 cups of disinfected and sliced strawberries - 1/2 cup of disinfected strawberries for decoration - 1 cup of whipping cream - 2 tablespoons of sugar - the ingredients required by the cake mix To see more click here Summer Mushroom Soup Ingredients: - 1/2 stick of butter - 1 kilo of chopped mushrooms - 1 finely chopped onion - 1/2 cup of dry white wine - 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth - 1 cup of whipping cream - 1 can of beef broth - 1 stalk of chopped celery - 1/2 chopped leek - 1 tablespoon of flour - bay leaf See the steps for this recipe here Autumn Cinnamon Rolls with Dried Fruit Ingredients: - 2 tablespoons of active yeast - 1/4 cup of water - 1/2 cup of milk - 1/3 cup of sugar - 1/4 cup of unsalted butter - 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract - 1/2 tablespoon of salt - 1 egg - 3 3/4 cups of flour - 2/3 cup of brown sugar for the filling - 1/2 cup of raisins for the filling - 1/2 cup of chopped dried apricots for the filling - 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts for the filling - 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon for the filling - 2 tablespoons of butter (for the filling) - 1 cup of powdered sugar - 2 tablespoons of milk for the glaze Click here to see more. Winter Potato Tortilla Ingredients: - 5 large potatoes, peeled and sliced very thin - 1 large onion, sliced into thin wedges - 1/2 cup of olive oil - 9 eggs - pepper to taste See the steps here   What seasonal ingredients do you like the most?