Dietary Diversity: Access to seasonal veggies year-round

Understanding the Importance of Dietary Diversity

What is Dietary Diversity?

The dietary diversity of an individual is measured by the number of different food groups or different types of foods that they consume over a certain reference period. It is a good indicator of nutrient adequacy, and has been associated with better health outcomes.

Benefits of a Diverse Diet

Dietary Diversity: Eating a variety of foods will get one a wide spectrum of nutritional elements. Different vegetables each contain different amounts of vitamins, minerals and beneficial compounds.

Disease Prevention: Eating lots of fruits and vegetables is linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and some cancers.

Enhanced gut health: Food can activate the diverse bacteria in our gut, which is crucial to digest our food, stay healthy and fight disease.

Accessing Seasonal Veggies All Year Round

Seasonal vegetables are vegetables that are naturally available during certain times of the year. Even though these veggies are fresh and nutritious, their seasonal availability limits the dietary diversity. Modern techniques overcame this issue:

Freeze Drying: A Game Changer

What is Freeze Drying?

Freeze drying, or lyophilising, consists of treating fresh or cooked food in a vacuum and then very low temperatures in order to remove water by sublimation. The goal is to create water-free food that is light and easy to store.

Advantages of Freeze Dried Veggies

Long Shelf Life: Whereas fresh foods such as vegetables deteriorate over time, the nutrients in freeze dried foods stay fresh for up to 25 years.

Nutrient Retention: Most of the vitamins and minerals in fresh produce remain intact when freeze-dried.

Convenience: You can add these veggies to any dish with little preparation – soak them in water for a few hours and they’re all set!

Greenhouses and Controlled Environments

Growing in greenhouses and in other controlled agricultural environments proliferates the availability of veggies at times of year that otherwise wouldn’t see them. Temperature, light and humidity are controllable variables so that crops can be generated when they usually would not.

International Trade and Transportation

Thanks to quick transportation, a large variety of vegetables, grown in one place, can arrive in another part of the world where it was not usual to have it. With the ability to obtain food from overseas and to waste less of organically grown food, we can have a larger range of veggies all year long.

Conclusion

Dietary diversity is important and adding fractions of traditional seasonal veggies to our year-round diet increases that diversity. So, using the technology of freeze drying, green houses or international commerce are ways to keep our plate colourful, nutritious and varied every day of the year. As consumers, we have a responsibility to vote with our dollar and make the right decisions to eat healthy.