Seasonal Produce
Produce in season will vary depending on the weather. Click below for more information on what fruits and vegetables are in season in your area!
Nutrition Facts
Fruits and vegetables are important sources of many nutrients! Learn more about your favorite produce here.
Cooking it up!
Once you’ve harvested your plants, it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. We’ve put together some recipes for you to try at home!
Spring
Apples, apricots, asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, collard greens, garlic, kale, kiwifruit, lemons, lettuce, limes, mushrooms, onions, peas, pineapples, radishes, rhubarb, spinach, strawberries, swiss chard, turnips
Summer
Apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, beets, bell peppers, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, carrots, celery, cherries, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, green beans, honeydew melon, lemons, lima beans, limes, mangos, okra, peaches, plums, raspberries, strawberries, summer squash, tomatillos, tomatoes, watermelon, zucchini
Fall
Apples, bananas, beets, bell peppers, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, cranberries, garlic, ginger, grapes, green beans, kale, kiwifruit, lemons, lettuce, limes, mangos, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, pears, peas, pineapples, potatoes, pumpkin, radishes, raspberries, rutabagas, spinach, sweet potatoes and yams, swiss chard, turnips, winter squash
Winter
Apples, avocados, bananas, beets, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery, collard greens, grapefruit, kale, kiwifruit, leeks, lemons, limes, oranges, onions, parsnips, pears, pineapples, potatoes, pumpkin, rutabagas, sweet potatoes and yams, swiss chard, turnips, winter squash
Nutrition and Health Benefits
Nutrients of Fruits and Vegetables
These are a source of essential nutrients such as:
- Potassium - maintain healthy blood pressure
- Dietary fiber - reduce blood cholesterol levels, may lower risk of heart disease, reduce constipation
*whole or cut-up fruits are good sources of dietary fiber, fruit juices contain little to no fiber.
- Vitamin A - keeps eyes and skin healthy, helps to protect against infections
- Vitamin C - helps heal cuts and wounds, keeps teeth and gums healthy
- Folate - helps body form red blood cells. This is important especially for pregnant women to reduce the risk of birth defects.
- naturally low in fat, sodium, and calories
Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables
- Reduce risk for heart disease, including heart attack and stroke
- May protect against certain types of cancers
- Reduce risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes
- Help decrease bone loss
- May be useful in helping to lower calorie intake
References
Nutrients and health benefits. (2015, June 12). Retrieved from https://www.choosemyplate.gov/fruits-nutrients-health
Nutrients and health benefits. (2016, January 12). Retrieved from https://www.choosemyplate.gov/vegetables-nutrients-health
(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/california/early-may
Seasonal Produce Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/seasonal-produce-guide