Here's What's in Season in December with a seasonal produce guide you can use as a quick reference guide when you visit your favorite Farmers Market!
It's the month of December and the holiday season is in full swing with Christmas around the corner. A great way to stay healthy this time of year is to incorporate seasonal fruit and vegetables in your Christmas dinners. Luckily, a lot of fresh produce is in peak season in the winter months including root vegetables like sweet potatoes and carrots, winter citrus fruits, winter squash, and cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts and cauliflower.
The weather is cooling down and it's a great time for cozy, nostalgic recipes like hearty soup, stews, pastas, and casseroles. These kinds of nutrient-rich recipes are a great addition to serve during the festive season! If you don't have a favorite market, here is a guide to Farmers' Markets in Austin.
Shopping in-season produce is a delicious way to support local farmers, the environment, and your health. Plus, it gives you a chance to try new and different seasonal recipes using seasonal food which vary depending on the time of year. While some produce is available year-round, many nutritious and tasty fruits and vegetables are at peak season in December.
As a dietitian, I love visiting the farmers market and getting intel from local farmers as to what's been harvested that week. This handy guide is great to bring to the market or grocery store with you!
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Health Benefits of Seasonal Eating
Eating in-season fruits and vegetables where you live often means eating them right after they are harvested or picked. This allows them to ripen naturally on the plant until they are ready to eat which ensures peak flavor and nutrition. Freshly harvested fruits and vegetables are higher in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than those that have been transported or sitting on a grocery store shelf for a long time.
Seasonal food ensures you will get a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables! Each month brings new options that contain different vitamins and minerals and gives you nutritional diversity throughout the year
If you live in a place without access to seasonal produce, getting the nourishment you need comes first. Eating frozen or canned fruits and vegetables are a great way to add nutrition to your daily intake, too!
Benefits of Seasonal Eating on the Local Economy
Purchasing local food like fresh produce at peak season from your local farmers' market is a great way to support local farmers and food producers in your area. It also supports the local economy where you live! The money spent there is invested in other small businesses in the community.
Your best bet for seasonal eating is to shop at local farmers' markets. It will vary depending on the weather and environment where you live.
Environmental Benefits of Eating Seasonally
By eating seasonal fruit and veggies, you can decrease your carbon footprint. This is because the transportation process to get produce around the globe uses all different kind of vehicles from shipping trucks to boats. There is a large amount of gas and carbon emissions in the process of the transportation of food.
So without further ado, here is a list of What's in Season in December.
What's in Season in Texas in December
From seasonal vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, and spaghetti squash to a beautiful bounty of fresh fruits. There are plenty of flavors to play with in December Here is your December Produce Guide:
- Arugula
- Beets
- Bok Choy
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Carrots
- Cabbages
- Cauliflower
- Celery/Celery Root
- Citrus Fresh Fruit
- Collard Greens
- Cucumbers
- Fennel
- Golden Beets
- Green Beans
- Green Onions
- Green Tomatoes
- Kale
- Kiwi
- Kohlrabi
- Leeks
- Melons
- Parsnips
- Pecans
- Pomegranates
- Radishes
- Spinach
- Sweet Potatoes
- Turnips
- Winter Squash (butternut squash, acorn squash, honeynut squash, spaghetti squash)
Seasonal Recipes for December
December is a good time to visit the local markets because it's growing season for so many options to create a healthy meal with hearty vegetables and winter fruits! Whether you are hosting a holiday event or are looking for tasty recipes that make a great addition to your weekly routine, I hope you enjoy these recipe ideas!
Honey Roasted Carrots with Thyme
These Honey Thyme Roasted Carrots are the perfect side dish to bring for a holiday dinner party. Or enjoy them with your favorite protein on a busy weeknight! Carrots are coated in a combination of honey, olive oil, thyme, and seasonings and roasted at high heat in the oven until almost caramelized.
Dietitian Tip - If you have leftover roasted carrots and don't want to eat them again, use them to make a healthy salad dressing! Just add them to a blender with olive oil or water and ground ginger and use the dressing on top of your favorite greens or over rotisserie chicken!
One-Pan Mushroom Orzo with Spinach
This Creamy Mushroom Orzo with Spinach is serious comfort food! It's a creamy and decadent dish made with short-grain orzo pasta, mushrooms, spinach, broth, parmesan cheese, and Greek yogurt added at the end. And it comes together in just one pan! It's a perfect main dish when you want something satisfying and creamy, but on the healthier side.
Dietitian Tip - Most creamy pasta recipes use heavy cream. And while heavy cream has a place in my kitchen, in this recipe I like to replace it with Greek yogurt which is lower in saturated fats and provides protein and calcium. You still get a super creamy end result because the starch from the pasta releases while being simmered in the broth. And as a bonus, you get extra nutrients with the Greek yogurt!
Pear & Arugula Salad with Pomegranates and Goat Cheese
This festive Pear Arugula Salad with a simple maple dressing is a delicious salad for any time of year, but it's especially perfect for the holiday table! The sweetness of the pears coupled with peppery arugula and topped with creamy goat cheese and crunchy walnuts takes this from a simple salad to unbeatable.
Dietitian Tip - One of the best ways to make a great salad is to choose a combination of seasonal ingredients that pair well together. And my secret to crowd-pleasing homemade salads is to add a great sauce or dressing. Making a homemade dressing that contains nutrient-rich ingredients like the Maple Balsamic used in this Pear Arugula Salad is a double win: flavor + nutrition. 😊
Easy Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
This One-Pot Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup recipe is serious comfort food for a chilly day or next time you feel a little sickness coming on! It's full of fresh flavor with tender chicken, delicate orzo pasta, and hearty vegetables all simmered in lemony broth. I like it even better than classic chicken noodle soup!
Dietitian Tip - Making soup is an easy way to get in lots of vegetables and other nutritious ingredients. And this is a recipe the whole family will love! Chop the veggies in advance so that when mealtime rolls around all there's left to do is let everything simmer in the pot!
Baked Sweet Potato Rounds
These Baked Sweet Potato Slices are so simple and make a delicious side dish! Here I share a basic recipe and 2 additional options - one savory and one sweet!
Dietitian Tip - When it comes to making a perfect side dish, sometimes simple is the way to go! You can use sweet potato slices like this as a base for toppings or enjoy them as they are. Since the potato itself is sweet and almost caramelizes in the oven when roasted, you really don't need much else - just a few simple ingredients to enhance their flavor and texture!
In Conclusion
Using seasonal fruits and vegetables is a great way to nourish your body, protect the planet, and support local farmers and businesses in your community. In December in North America, it's early winter and the best time to find a perfect balance between sweet and savory flavors for holiday recipes!
Whether you shop at local farmers' markets, local grocery stores, or online market, look for some of these fruits and vegetables that are in season in December and get in the kitchen to try out a new recipe! 😊
And remember, if you live in a place without access to seasonal produce, getting the nourishment you need comes first. Eating frozen or canned fruits and vegetables are a great way to add nutrition to your daily intake, too.
References: Texas Real Food, Texas Farmers Market, Farm to Table TX, University of Maryland Medical System, Seasonal Food Guide, WebMD
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