What fruit and vegetables are seasonal in the UK and should we shape our diets around them?

With shortages of everyday fruits and vegetables like tomatoes impacting the UK, there have been calls for British people to switch to a more seasonal diet.

Although modern farming techniques and advanced international shipping have made seasonal availability a thing of the past, it doesn't mean it shouldn't be considered.

One of the main reasons the UK is currently suffering a shortage of some produce is that many British farmers decided it wasn't worth the cost of planting tomatoes in the winter, which require a huge amount of energy to grow.

During a debate on the food shortages in the House of Commons on Thursday Conservative MP Selaine Saxby suggested British people should switch to a seasonal diet to deal with the issue.

She asked if "supermarkets are still importing far too much produce for us and that actually we should be eating more seasonally and supporting our own British farmers?"

Environment Secretary Therese Coffey responded lukewarmly to the idea, saying "a lot of people would be eating turnips right now rather than thinking necessarily about aspects of lettuce, and tomatoes and similar but I’m conscious that consumers want a year-round choice and that is what our supermarkets, food producers and growers around the world try to satisfy."

But Ms Saxby's calls mirror similar calls from environmentalists who say we should consider the levels of pollution created by importing vegetables from around the world or forcing them to grow out of season in the UK.

If we were to switch to a seasonal diet, what would our everyday meals contain throughout the year?

Winter

Starting with the current season when the ground is hard and frozen most British produce won't grow.

But several staples are in their prime including your root vegetables like carrots and parsnips, brassicas like cauliflower and broccoli, and onions.

During winter you'll more likely see cabbages, sprouts, leeks, parsnips, swedes, beetroot and turnips.

Many different varieties of mushrooms also grow in winter.

On the fruit side of things, you'll be a bit more stuck for choice with apples and pears being the most commonly grown during winter.

Spring

Spring is when the growing season really begins as the temperature warms and rain sweeps in.

New potatoes are primed for spring along with all the root vegetables that could be grown in winter.

Other new additions include artichoke, asparagus, aubergine peas and some types of pepper.

The temperature still isn't quite right for most fruit but this is prime time for British rhubarb.

Summer

The peak season for most fruit and vegetables, with much of the produce the UK is currently lacking grown now.

Everything from chillies to tomatoes, to spinach, can be grown during summer.

Expect to see lettuce, cucumbers, courgettes, rocket, garlic, fennel, runner beans, sweetcorn, rocket and many different types of beans, potatoes and peppers.

Summer is also berry season with strawberries, blackberries, cherries, blueberries, and gooseberries all grown in the UK during the middle of the year.

This is also when you will see British plums on the shelves.

Autumn

Although temperatures start to cool during autumn many of the vegetables grown in summer still continue to be harvested.

Except for the vegetables that require the most heat, like tomatoes, chillies and cucumbers everything from summer will still be available.

You'll also see the first pumpkins in time for Halloween.

For fruit, it's back to apples and pears for the most part, although blackberries tend to grow later in the year than most other berries.

What benefits are there from eating seasonally?

Besides helping the environment there are several benefits to a seasonal diet.

First of all, food grown in season in the UK is always going to be cheaper than an unseasonal import.

Seasonal food is also fresher and likely to taste better than imports which are often sprayed with chemicals to extend their life to account for transportation time.

Finally, it will help the British economy, particularly the farming industry which has faced a difficult time during the cost of living crisis.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know