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LeafUp › Basics › Cooking with the seasons

Cooking with the seasons

Fruit and vegetables in season are usually tastier, cheaper and often grown closer to home. Out of season, frozen produce and vegetables that keep well are good choices.

Steps

  1. Find out what’s in season where you live: look at what’s plentiful and cheapest at the market or in the shop, or use a seasonal calendar for your region.
  2. Choose in this order: fresh in season, then frozen, then a jar, then a tin. For dried beans, chickpeas and lentils, cooking them yourself comes first.
  3. Out of season, use vegetables and fruit that keep, such as carrots, beetroot, cabbage, onions, squash and apples, and frozen vegetables and fruit.
  4. For salads: fresh vegetables in season, or vegetables that keep, raw or roasted, with frozen peas, sweetcorn or edamame, cooked and cooled. The more colours, the better.

Good to know

Always cook frozen vegetables and fruit before eating, even for a salad or a smoothie: it makes them safe. Frozen produce counts just as much as fresh; choose plain ones without added sauce, salt or sugar.

LeafUp gives general food guidance for adults. It is not medical or dietary advice. With a health condition, during pregnancy or with allergies, ask your doctor or a dietitian.