Ditch These Fruits This winter: Protecting Your Health & teh Planet
While readily available year-round, certain fruits sold during the winter months come with a hidden cost – a meaningful environmental impact and diminished nutritional value. Fruits typically enjoyed in warmer seasons, when purchased out of season, are often grown in greenhouses or shipped long distances from countries like Spain, Morocco, or South America. This practice contributes to a heavy carbon footprint and results in a less satisfying, less healthy product.
These fruits are frequently harvested before reaching full ripeness. This premature picking leads to a considerable loss of flavor and vital nutrients. The National Health Security Agency (ANSES) reports that a winter-grown tomato can contain half as much vitamin C as a seasonal tomato.
Moreover, the extended transportation required frequently enough necessitates pesticide treatment, further reducing nutritional benefits. The transport itself generates considerable CO₂ emissions, exacerbating the environmental burden.
Specifically, you should avoid these warm-weather fruits during the winter: watermelon, peach, blackcurrant, apricot, blackberry, cherry, grape, fig, currant, and tomato. Grown prematurely or in greenhouses, they lack the taste and nutritional punch of their in-season counterparts, and their journey to your plate leaves a large ecological mark.
Fortunately, delicious and beneficial alternatives exist. Frozen summer fruits like melon, raspberry, and mango can retain their nutritional value when properly stored. More importantly, embrace the bounty of winter!
Fruits like kiwi - packed with vitamin C – and oranges and clementines, ideal for boosting immunity, are excellent choices. Lemon, known for its detoxifying properties, apples and pears (rich in fiber and antioxidants), persimmon and pomegranate (high in beta-carotene), avocado (a source of healthy fats), pineapple (a natural digestive and anti-inflammatory), and chestnuts (an excellent energy source) are all recommended.
choosing locally grown, seasonal fruits isn’t just healthier; it’s more environmentally friendly. According to INRAE, importing just one kilogram of exotic fruit by air can generate up to 30 times more CO emissions than a kilogram of locally grown apples. By prioritizing seasonal produce, you actively reduce your carbon footprint and favor fresher, nutrient-rich products.
