When it comes to feeding our families, the endless choices in the produce aisle can be overwhelming. But what if choosing what to serve could be guided by the rhythms of nature? Seasonal eating for families is a great way to bring variety, nutrition, and joy to your table - without stress or complexity.
Why seasonal eating matters for kids and families
Eating seasonally means enjoying fruits and vegetables when they’re naturally harvested. This often means better flavor, better nutrition, and even a lighter footprint on the planet. For children, it’s also a sensory-rich way to learn about food—how it changes, what grows when, and where it comes from.
Benefits of seasonal eating
- More flavor
Produce that is picked in season is fresher and often sweeter or more tender. Some produce, like apples, can sit in cold storage for months and months and still be eaten. This is great for people who want to eat their favorite fruit or vegetable all year, but typically, when you eat that fruit or vegetable soon after it is harvested, it’s so much more flavorful.
- Budget-friendly
Typically, in-season produce in more affordable and abundant. Some types of produce are always more pricy than others, but if you are comparing a certain fruit or vegetable from when it’s in season vs. when its not, then in season tends to be more affordable. I tend to offer my kids lots of berries and stone fruits in the summer when they are abundant and less costly, while in the fall and winter, I give them more apples, pears and citrus.
- Better nutrition
Foods harvested at peak ripeness tend to retain more vitamins and antioxidants. So the closer to harvesting you eat fruits and vegetables the more concentrated nutrition you will consume. So in addition, to eating in season, also choosing foods grown locally can help get the foods to you sooner. This also highlights the benefit of frozen produce which is typically frozen at its peak of freshness, locking in all those important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
- Built-in variety
Nature encourages us to rotate foods naturally throughout the year, supporting diverse nutrient intake. I find that, while my kids have their favorite fruits and vegetables, they now get excited knowing that one is coming in season. They seem to enjoy it even more. And on the flip side, I notice my kids do start to get tired of eating the same thing all the time, so many times they are fine to let a fruit or vegetable go for several months.
Simple ways to bring seasonal foods to your family table
You don’t need a farm box subscription (though that’s great too!) or a detailed seasonal chart on your fridge. Here are some gentle, low-stress ways to make seasonal eating part of your everyday routine.
How to eat seasonally with kids
1. Start with one food at a time
Think of one new food you want to introduce or try with your child, as opposed to overwhelming them with many options. Each season has a handful of wonderful options. So try something new one week and try something different the next week. It’s summer now, so think berries, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers. Mix up dinner with something new. Try our watermelon salad!
Tips by age:
👶 Babies: Offer pureed or soft seasonal foods like mashed peaches or steamed zucchini sticks.
👧 Toddlers: Serve new foods with familiar ones—like peach slices with yogurt.
🧒 Preschoolers: Let them pick a new “food of the week” at the grocery store or market.
2. Use what’s abundant (and on sale)
Seasonal produce tends to be the most visible in stores—and often the most affordable. Let the grocery store guide you. Melons may be stacked at the entrance to the store, during these summer months or peaches and cherries right as you enter the produce section. These are your cue.
Tips by age:
👶 Babies: If you find something your baby really seems to like, store extra by steaming and freezing small portions to add to meals in the future.
👧 Toddlers: Start to give them ownership by letting them bag the new produce in the grocery store.
🧒 Preschoolers: Ask them questions to involve them in the process, like “Which color pepper should we try?” or “Do you want to help wash these blueberries when we get home?”
3. Make one seasonal swap
If you have a few go-to fruits and vegetables you offer daily, maybe try swapping those staples out with a seasonal option to add a little more variety.
Tips by age:
👶 Babies: As you are slowly adding variety to their diet, prioritize picking foods that are currently in season.
👧 Toddlers: Mix new foods into beloved textures - like adding shredded summer squashes into muffins or corn into mashed potatoes.
🧒 Preschoolers: Maybe they love snacking on cucumbers - mix it up by offering them sugar snap peas or slices of ripe tomatoes.
4. Visit a farmer’s market or farm stand
If it’s accessible to your family, try an outing to a farmer’s market. Let your child help pick something new or colorful—it’s a chance to connect food with real people and places.
Tips by age:
👶 Babies: Bring snacks and a stroller. Let your baby take in all the colors, smells and sounds of the market. And depending on your babies readiness for solids, there may be foods they can sample. My babies used to chew on raw bell peppers, be given small bites of berries and even had some of their early exposures to fish and eggs at a farmers market.
👧 Toddlers: Let them choose a fruit or vegetable at different vendors to add to the basket. Giving them choice increases their engagement around eating new foods.
🧒 Preschoolers: Encourage them to ask farmers questions about their foods, which many love to share about.
5. Talk about the seasons with your kids
Start early talking with your kids about what grows when. They will start to be more connected with their food and learn to anticipate foods they love coming in season.
Tips by age:
👶 Babies: Even before your baby can talk, they are listening. Describe foods with simple seasonal phrases, like” this summer squash is yellow and soft”. This will help them start learning descriptor words for foods.
👧 Toddlers: Point out how the world changes through the seasons. “ Look how green everything is, tomatoes are starting to grow”, or “ The leaves are falling and now we get pumpkin”.
🧒 Preschoolers: You can create a seasonal food chart with the, with stickers or drawings so they start to learn what grows when.
Sample Seasonal Picks by Season
You can use this Seasonal Food Guide site to look up what is in season in your specific area. Here’s also a quick cheat sheet for inspiration of what is typically in season:
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Spring: Asparagus, peas, strawberries, radishes
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Summer: Zucchini, tomatoes, peaches, blueberries, corn
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Fall: Apples, sweet potatoes, squash, pears
- Winter: Citrus, carrots, kale, beets
Remember—seasonal eating is a tool, not a rule. If your child’s favorite fruit isn’t in season, it’s still okay to serve it. Do you need more ideas for feeding your kids this summer, we got some more ideas for you here. Use seasonal foods to expand your family’s palate, spark curiosity, and connect mealtimes to the world outside your window. It’s not about perfection—it’s about presence, discovery, and delight.