Nothing says summer like a juicy peach, a fresh ear of corn or a vine-ripe tomato. Or how about your pick of fragrantly delicious citrus fruits during the winter months? Eating what’s in season brings you closer to your food on several fronts:

• When picked at the peak of freshness, tree-ripe fruit and just-picked vegetables are bursting with more nutrients (and flavor) including vitamins and health-boosting compounds called phytonutrients. Sweet apricots straight from the tree, for example, are loaded with more carotenoids (known to fight off cancer) compared to those grown off-season and shipped to market.
• Seasonal produce is typically less expensive when it’s plentiful during its natural growing season such as delicious, vine ripe tomatoes in the summer versus greenhouse a variety grown during the colder winter months. You can plan your meals more economically and nutritiously with seasonal produce.
• Eating seasonally keeps you in sync with the changing seasons and related activities. Enjoying the bounty of summer produce on the grill or the cooler days of fall and an apple harvest are just a few ways we can connect our calendar along with friends, family and the food we eat.