The Seasonal Digest: Which veggies are the most lit in the Fall
You might be asking yourself, what makes a vegetable lit? Well, according to us at the Green Office, it needs to meet several conditions:
- It needs to taste delicious
- It needs to make you feel great
- It needs to be seasonal
The first two criteria are met by most (or all) vegetables, but the third depends on your location and the time of year!
What's the big deal about seasonal produce?
Although your carbon footprint will generally be way lower if you eat less meat and more veggies, even the impact of a plant-based diet can vary based on how that vegetable was sourced.
Think about it, if you eat a strawberry in the middle of February, it probably took a lot of resources and kilometers for those strawberries to be brought from a distant country to your local supermarket. By eating produce which is currently in season in your area, the time it will take between the harvesting of that produce and its reaching your plate will be much shorter, and will therefore cost less resources to happen. Furthermore, you can be more confident in a seasonal vegetable's nutritional value, as locally-sourced veggies don't need to be treated with as many chemicals to stay fresh, since they do not need to travel as much.
But how am I supposed to know what's in season?
You can ask Groentetas, the seasonality experts! Since they always need to keep track of what's in season to stock their weekly veggie boxes, they'll always be the right people to ask.
This time however, we already asked them for you. Here is the list that we got in September. Make sure you keep an eye out for this lit produce when you're planning your next meal:
| Vegetables | Endive, broccoli, pak choi, green cabbage, spinach |
|---|---|
| Fruits | Plums (Dutch ones!), berries, apples, pears |
Groentetas is a collection of fresh local seasonal veggies and fruit for the price of €6, which can be picked up every Monday between 11:00 and 14:00 at the Groentetas stand in the Educatorium Restaurant (de Uithof, Leuvenlaan 19) and every Tuesday between 11:00 and 14:00 at the HKU Oudenoord (Art's school, Oudenoord 700). Make your order the latest on Wednesday evening through their website or one week in advance at the stands.
Don't forget to bring your own bag!
Groentetas is supported by the Green Office, Utrecht University’s central sustainability hub where fresh minds and hands come together to support Utrecht University’s sustainable development.