Eating seasonally is a great way to vary your diet while using ingredients that are fresh and don’t break the bank! Here’s the winter produce you should look out for this season.
Winter Seasonal Produce
Winter Vegetables
Ready to stock up on fresh, healthy vegetables? Look for these delicious winter vegetables:
- Carrots
- Lettuce
- Winter cabbage
- Peas
- Dark leafy greens
- Brussels sprouts
- Potatoes
- Alliums (garlic and onions)
- Beets
- Turnips
- Broccoli
Dark leafy greens in particular are some of the healthiest winter vegetables! Kale, swiss chard, and collard greens are just a few of the dark leafy greens you can enjoy in chilly weather. Take a look at these impressive health benefits:
- Just one cup (67 grams) of kale contains the daily recommended intake for vitamins A, C, and K. It is also rich in B vitamins, calcium, copper, manganese, potassium, and magnesium.
- The dark green leaves and brightly colored stems of Swiss chard are packed with beneficial plant pigments called betalains. Betalains have been shown to reduce inflammation in the body and decrease the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, one of the main causes of heart disease.
- The amount of calcium in collard greens is impressive, with one cup (190 grams) of cooked collards containing 27% of the daily recommended intake. Calcium is essential for bone health, muscle contraction, and nerve transmission, along with other important functions.
Winter Fruits
There are also a wide variety of fruits that grow in winter, including winter squash, which is technically a fruit, although many of us think of it as a vegetable. Winter squash varieties are bountiful, and include:
- Delicata squash
- Butternut squash
- Acorn squash
- Spaghetti squash
- Hubbard squash
- Turban squash
- Kabocha squash
- Carnival squash
- Banana squash
Other winter fruits include citrus fruits like oranges, pineapple, Meyer lemons, tangerines, and kumquats. You’ll also find fresh cranberries, pomegranates, pears, and persimmon!
Food To Grow in Winter
You know what to look for in your local grocery stores and farmers markets, but what about your backyard? If you’re planning a beautiful winter garden, here are some winter vegetables to grow:
- Broccoli
- Winter cabbage
- Carrots
- Kohlrabi
- Leeks
- Perennial onions
- Spinach
With all these delectable fruits and vegetables available, winter really is a wonderful time of year. From all of us at Appetite For Change, we wish you a healthy, happy, and fruitful holiday season!
Appetite For Change uses food as a tool to build health, wealth, and social change in North Minneapolis. We bring our community together to learn, cook, eat, and grow food, creating change that lasts. Donate today to support our incredible impact in North Minneapolis! Together, we can create well-rooted and flourishing change!
