What’s in Season?
- Dr. Sandra Mckenzie
- Nov 28, 2025
- 2 min read
A gentle guide to reconnecting with nature, nourishment, and your region’s rhythms
By Dr. Sandra Mckenzie / Lifestyle Medicine Specialist
In a world where everything is available all the time, we sometimes forget the simple joy — and the nutritional wisdom — of eating foods when they naturally grow. Seasonal eating is not a trend or a diet; it is a timeless practice rooted in harmony with nature, tradition, and the body’s intuitive needs.
When we choose seasonal foods, we are choosing:
Foods grown closer to home
Better flavor and stronger nutrient density
Lower cost and greater freshness
A deeper connection to the earth and our community
Nature gives us exactly what we need when we need it — cooling hydrating foods in summer, grounding vegetables in winter, immune-supporting produce in fall and spring. There is an intelligence in nature that mirrors the intelligence within the body.
What’s in Season Where You Live?
Seasonal availability varies depending on location and climate — what grows in New York in March is different from what grows in Florida or California. The chart below highlights seasonal produce by region across the U.S., based on the Institute for Functional Medicine’s seasonal produce guide Seasonal Foods by U.S. Region.
U.S. Regions Included:
Northeast
Midwest
Southeast
Southwest
West
Each regional list includes fruits and vegetables for winter, spring, summer, and fall, making it easy to shop intentionally and explore new foods throughout the year.
For example:
In the Northeast, winter offers beets, leeks, parsnips, cranberries, and squash.
In the Southeast, spring brings blueberries, peaches, radishes, and leafy greens.
In the Southwest, winter supports citrus like grapefruit, oranges, lemons, and tangerines.
In the West, summer bursts with cherries, berries, stone fruit, and tomatoes.
Explore the full lists in the downloadable chart below
Why Seasonal Eating Supports Wellness
Seasonal foods often:
Have more flavor and higher nutrient content
Support blood sugar balance and digestion
Strengthen immune defense
Reduce inflammation
Connect us to mindful eating and food creativity
Seasonal eating also inspires us to cook at home more often, visit farmers markets, and reduce dependency on imported or processed foods.
A Gentle Invitation
This week, choose one seasonal food from your region and bring it into a meal, smoothie, or snack.
Notice how your body feels — not clinically, but sensorially. Let food be an experience, not a task.
Ask yourself:
What seasonal food can I enjoy this week that nourishes me from the inside out?
Let it be simple.
Let it be delicious.
Let it feel like care.
Closing Reflection
Eating with the seasons reminds us that wellness doesn’t need to be complicated.
It can be slow, intentional, colorful, and beautifully human.
When we return to the rhythms of nature, the body often responds with balance, clarity, and gratitude.
Because sometimes the most powerful transformation begins with a conversation.
Click here to schedule your free 10-minute virtual discovery call and explore how seasonal eating can become a simple, nourishing path to vibrant living.
Honor the season you’re in — on your plate and in your life.
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