Seasonality is a starting point
Seasons vary by variety, region, weather and cultivation. App recommendations are general guidance; prioritize produce that is fresh, available and affordable where you shop.
Using Japan’s four seasons
Spring may bring rapeseed greens and new onions; summer tomato and okra; autumn mushrooms and tubers; winter daikon and napa cabbage. Combine them with frozen vegetables and year-round beans for manageable variety.
In the tropics, watch rain and dry seasons
In places such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, regional differences are large. Rain, dry periods and distribution affect greens, okra, beans and tubers. Real market availability matters more than a country-wide calendar.
Do not turn seasonality into a health promise
Seasonal foods can be appealing for taste, price and local connection, but out-of-season foods are not nutritionally empty. Frozen, canned and dried options remain useful when labels and sodium are considered.