YMCA Healthy Living Magazine, powered by n4 food and health Winter 2019 | Page 6

MARNIE NITSCHKE, APD
Marnie is an Accredited Practising Dietitian at
www.n4foodandhealth.com. She also works in clinical nutrition at
Epworth Healthcare, and consults in private practice at Everyday
Nutrition in Glen Iris. Learn more at
www.everydaynutrition.com.au
SEASONAL EATING
IN WINTER
Learn how to maximise your nutrient intake, save money and help the planet!
ating seasonally is a great idea, because fruit and
vegetables in-season are more affordable and last
longer in our fridge or pantry. They are often locally
grown, so they haven’t travelled so far or been in storage for so
long. On top of that, seasonal produce has more flavour and the
highest nutrient levels. There are six pretty good reasons!
E
We can also use the seasons for shopping and cooking
inspiration to help with the often dreaded ‘what on earth am I
going to cook tonight?’ question. We all get stuck in boring
cooking ruts from time to time. So here are a few ideas to help.
Find time this weekend to visit a market or your local fruit and
vegetable shop, and explore fruit and vegetables in season.
Chat to the staff and ask questions about cooking techniques
and recipe inspiration – they’re the experts, after all! Why not
take the family to your local farmers market?
Try new varieties of in-season fruits and vegetables (or
those you haven’t had for a while). Involve the kids in the
shopping and meal planning, so they too can learn about
seasonality. It may just inspire them to try something new.
Grow your own produce! What better way to learn what is
in-season, than to get out and start planting yourself? Of
course, you can start small as not everyone has a lot of
space. Even a few pots on the kitchen window sill can help
you reconnect with growing food and seasonality. It’s also a
great activity for the kids!
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YMCA HEALTHY LIVING MAGAZINE WINTER 2019
In winter we generally spend more time indoors, and gravitate
to hearty, warming meals, but they don’t need to be stodgy.
Think of a warm bowl of porridge with stewed apple; a tray of
seasonal veggies roasted in extra virgin olive oil with lots of
herbs and spices; or a big pot of vegetable and legume soup.
With these ideas at hand, let’s look at what’s in season in
Victoria this winter.
Fruits
Apples, bananas, grapefruit, kiwifruit, lemons and limes,
mandarins, oranges and pears
Vegetables
Jerusalem artichokes, broad beans, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels
sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, eggplant, lettuce,
onions, parsley, parsnips, snow peas, potatoes, rhubarb,
silverbeet, spinach, spring onion, turnips
Check out the recipes in this issue
that use seasonal produce:
Page 7: Cauliflower and leek soup, and Savoury
muffins
Pages 16 and 17: Chicken and spinach pie, Chickpea
and kale pesto, and Lentil bolognese