Seasonal Eating Made Simple: The Foods Your Body May Need Right Now

Walk into almost any grocery store and you can buy strawberries in December, squash in July and bananas virtually every day of the year.

We’ve become so accustomed to having every food whenever we want it that it’s easy to forget fruits and vegetables actually have seasons.

Holistic nutritionist Elissa Goodman believes that’s worth paying attention to.

In this episode of Heal Squad, Goodman and Maria explore seasonal eating, hydration, vegetables, minerals and how to make healthier eating practical without becoming overwhelmed by the endless stream of wellness advice.

Goodman’s philosophy isn’t about creating another rigid set of food rules. In fact, she admits she doesn’t eat exclusively according to the seasons herself.

Instead, she suggests using the seasons as a guide for bringing more variety, fresh produce and whole foods into your diet.

And that may be the most useful takeaway: You don’t have to completely reinvent the way you eat. You can start by adding more of what your body needs.

What Does “Eating Seasonally” Actually Mean?

Seasonal eating simply means choosing more fruits and vegetables that naturally grow and are harvested during the current season where you live.

Today, that’s surprisingly easy to ignore.

Produce is shipped around the world, allowing supermarkets to stock many foods throughout the year.

Goodman points to two potential advantages of buying foods in season.

They’re often fresher because they may not need to travel as far or spend as much time in storage.

And because they’re more abundant during their natural growing season, they can also be less expensive.

Rather than memorizing the growing season of every vegetable in the produce aisle, Goodman thinks about seasonal eating in broader categories.

Spring: Think Fresh and Green

Goodman associates spring with lighter foods and plenty of herbs and vegetables.

She particularly likes herbs such as:

• Parsley
• Cilantro
• Dill

She describes spring as a time to emphasize foods traditionally associated with “detoxification.”

It’s important to clarify what that means.

Your liver and kidneys are continually processing and eliminating substances from the body; you don’t need a special food or cleanse to make them “detox” you.

But herbs and vegetables can provide fiber, vitamins, minerals and plant compounds that are part of a nutritious diet.

So rather than thinking about spring as a time to literally cleanse toxins from the body, think of it as an opportunity to bring more fresh plants back onto the plate.

Summer: Reach for Foods With More Water

Summer naturally brings foods with high water content.

Goodman points to:

Cucumbers. Celery. Watermelon. Tomatoes. Berries. Leafy greens.

These foods don’t replace drinking water, but they do contribute to overall fluid intake.

And that highlights something people sometimes forget about hydration:

Water doesn’t only come from your water bottle.

Fruits, vegetables, soups and other foods can contribute meaningful amounts of fluid throughout the day.

Summer produce makes that particularly easy.

Fall: Bring in Color and Variety

As the seasons begin changing, Goodman turns toward colorful fruits and vegetables and foods that provide nutrients involved in normal immune function.

She specifically discusses citrus fruits and vitamin C.

The broader lesson isn’t that eating oranges in the fall will prevent you from getting sick.

It’s that different seasons naturally encourage dietary variety.

If you eat the same handful of foods every day because they’re convenient, seasonal produce can be a simple reminder to rotate what’s on your plate.

Different plants provide different combinations of fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals.

Variety is valuable.

Winter: Make Vegetables Warm and Comforting

When it’s cold outside, a giant bowl of raw vegetables may not sound particularly appealing.

Goodman gets it.

In fall and winter, she gravitates toward cooked vegetables, squash, pumpkin, soups and heartier meals.

That can make increasing vegetable intake much easier.

Vegetables don’t have to mean salad.

Roast them.

Add them to soup.

Blend them.

Put them into stews.

Serve cooked greens alongside dinner.

Goodman’s seasonal approach isn’t about forcing yourself to eat foods you don’t want.

It’s about finding forms of nutritious foods that fit the way you naturally want to eat at different times of year.

Do You Have to Eat Only Foods Grown Where You Live?

This is where Maria raises an interesting question.

She has heard the argument that people should eat only foods that naturally grow in their local environment—for example, that someone living in a colder climate shouldn’t necessarily eat tropical fruit such as bananas.

Goodman isn’t convinced.

She believes some foods can still offer nutritional value even if they aren’t indigenous to where you live.

Bananas are her example. She points out that slightly green bananas contain resistant starch and can function as a prebiotic food, helping provide fuel for beneficial gut bacteria.

The distinction matters.

Eating more seasonally doesn’t have to mean banning everything that didn’t grow within driving distance of your house.

For most people, increasing the amount and variety of fruits and vegetables they eat is likely a more useful goal than creating another complicated list of foods they’re “not allowed” to have.

The Vegetables Goodman Wants More People Eating

Goodman believes many people simply aren’t eating enough vegetables.

She particularly emphasizes cruciferous vegetables and members of the allium family.

Cruciferous vegetables include foods such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and related vegetables.

Alliums include onions, garlic and leeks.

She also discusses leafy vegetables and bitter greens including spinach and radicchio.

Goodman connects these foods with cancer prevention and discusses research involving tumor markers. While plant-rich dietary patterns are associated with numerous health benefits, individual vegetables shouldn’t be viewed as treatments capable of lowering someone’s tumor markers or treating cancer on their own.

For someone undergoing cancer treatment, nutrition can be an important part of supportive care—but it belongs alongside appropriate oncology care, not in place of it.

Are You Actually Dehydrated—or Just Drinking More Water?

Hydration becomes a major part of the conversation.

Goodman argues that some people are drinking plenty of water without necessarily consuming enough minerals through their diets.

She discusses electrolytes including:

Sodium. Potassium. Magnesium. Chloride.

These minerals are involved in fluid balance and many other essential physiological processes.

But that doesn’t mean everyone needs an electrolyte supplement.

Most healthy people can obtain electrolytes through a balanced diet, and needs vary depending on exercise, heat exposure, medications and medical conditions.

Goodman’s larger point is useful:

Hydration isn’t just about chasing an enormous daily water target.

Food matters too.

Vegetables matter.

Minerals matter.

And your individual needs matter.

There’s No Magic Number of Ounces Everyone Needs

During the conversation, Goodman mentions a daily water target for women of approximately 94 ounces, while noting that hydrating foods contribute to fluid intake.

Rather than treating any single number as a universal prescription, hydration needs should be individualized.

Your needs can change depending on your size, activity, environment, diet, pregnancy or breastfeeding status, medications and health conditions.

Someone exercising outside in summer heat may need considerably more fluid than someone sitting indoors in a cool environment.

And drinking excessive amounts of water isn’t automatically healthier.

A practical approach is to pay attention to thirst, activity, heat exposure and other individual factors—and discuss fluid requirements with a healthcare professional when a medical condition affects hydration or electrolyte balance.

Protein Matters—but Don’t Forget the Plants

Protein is having a moment.

Goodman isn’t against that.

She specifically says she values protein and believes it becomes increasingly important as we age, particularly in relation to maintaining muscle.

Her concern is what gets pushed off the plate when protein becomes the entire conversation.

Vegetables provide things protein foods don’t necessarily provide in the same amounts—including fiber and a wide variety of plant nutrients.

Goodman suggests aiming for substantial vegetable intake throughout the day and mentions eight to ten cups as a goal she gives some clients.

That’s a significant amount and isn’t a universal medical requirement.

But you don’t have to hit a particular number to use the underlying lesson:

Look at your plate and ask whether plants are getting enough space.

A Green Drink Can Make Vegetables Easier

Goodman has been drinking green juice since she was treated for cancer in her early 30s.

These days, she often uses a blender instead of a traditional juicer so the fiber remains in the drink.

Her basic combination is refreshingly uncomplicated:

Cucumber.

Celery.

Lemon.

Ginger.

Then she may add something such as spinach or romaine.

Maria shares the version she drank while staying in the Dominican Republic, which included arugula, kale, romaine, cucumber and a small amount of green apple.

Goodman’s advice for making the habit sustainable is practical: prep the vegetables ahead of time.

Wash everything in advance.

Choose produce that keeps well in the refrigerator.

In the morning, throw it into the blender.

That’s much more realistic than beginning every day by washing, chopping and preparing six different vegetables.

Green Juice Isn’t Magic

There’s an important distinction here.

A green drink can be a convenient way to consume vegetables.

It isn’t a cure.

Goodman attributes part of her long-term wellness routine to green juice, but her personal history doesn’t establish that green juice prevented or treated cancer.

And blending is different from juicing.

When whole vegetables are blended, much of their fiber remains. Traditional juicing removes a substantial amount of that fiber.

For most people, whole fruits and vegetables remain an excellent foundation.

The blender is simply another way to get them.

Don’t Let “Clean Eating” Make You Afraid of Everything

Toward the end of the conversation, Maria and Goodman begin discussing concerns about contaminants in spices, coffee, tea, rice and water.

Maria captures the problem perfectly.

Once an algorithm realizes you’re interested in wellness, suddenly everything seems dangerous.

Your food is toxic.

Your cookware is toxic.

Your water is toxic.

Your plates are toxic.

Even the things you thought were healthy become something else to fear.

Goodman acknowledges how overwhelming this can become.

The conversation raises concerns about arsenic, heavy metals and other contaminants, but the presence and amount of contaminants can vary considerably by product, source and location. A single personal test or online claim isn’t enough to conclude that a particular food, water system or product is unsafe.

The healthiest response isn’t panic.

It’s informed decision-making.

You Don’t Have to Fix Your Entire Diet Today

This may be the most important message in the episode.

Maria describes the modern wellness world as exhausting because there’s always another thing we’re supposedly doing wrong.

Goodman’s approach offers a more manageable alternative.

Learn something.

Change one thing.

Then keep going.

Maybe this week you add vegetables to lunch.

Next week you try a seasonal vegetable you’ve never cooked.

Maybe you prep cucumber and celery so making a morning smoothie becomes realistic.

Maybe you add soup instead of abandoning vegetables during winter.

Maybe you simply walk through the produce section and notice what’s abundant right now.

Health doesn’t have to be an endless search for everything that’s wrong with your life.

Sometimes it can simply be about adding something good.

And seasonal eating offers an easy place to begin:

Look at what’s growing now, put a little more of it on your plate and let your diet change with the year instead of demanding that every food be available every day.