Enjoying local, seasonal produce isn’t just good for the environment, it’s good for your body and your pocket too!

Eating locally sourced food in season means that you reduce your environmental impact.

Food that has travelled across the world to get to your plate requires more energy to transport, refrigerate and store it and often, more packaging is needed to keep it fresh.

By eating local, seasonal foods you can help reduce the environmental costs associated with your food. It also means you can eat better food for less. Local produce is more likely to be ripened on the farm before being harvested and delivered. This food is fresher, tastes better and is more nutritious. Although local food can be more expensive, buying in season means you’re getting it at peak supply when it’s at its cheapest.

Here are some of the foods in season at this time of year…

Kale - This hardy veggie is one of the most traditional vegetables of Ireland and is described by some health and nutrition professionals as one of the most nutrient packed vegetables in the world. Fresh kale is extremely nutritious, containing: Iron – a nutrient, which boosts healthy production of red blood cells; Fibre; B group vitamins – important antioxidants and for a healthy nervous system; vitamin A and potassium – great for regulating water balance.

Root vegetables - Just because the weather might be dull doesn’t mean your diet has to be. Carrots and parsnips are now available for winter soups and stews, adding colour and texture. They roast beautifully too.

Beetroot - Winter beetroots add a burst of colour to your cooking, and are rich in fibre and folate. Boil them in their skins, then slip off the skins, before adding to a salad or relish. They match particularly well with raw apple and walnuts, dressed in sour cream or light mayo. Younger beetroots can be grated raw into salads, as the French favour.

Rhubarb - Technically a vegetable, though it’s treated like a fruit in desserts, rhubarb is packed with antioxidants and vitamin K1 too. Early rhubarb is known as ‘forced’ rhubarb, grown in the dark under pots, so the stems stay light pink. Later season outdoor rhubarb is tougher, but some say with a stronger flavour.