What is in season in right now? This August Seasonal Produce Guide shows you what is in season, the nutritional value and our favorite ways to prepare them!
What produce is in season in August?
In full summer force, you will find tons of amazing fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs in gardens and farmers markets during August! You’ll be able to make amazing desserts and smoothies with juicy plums, peaches, mangos, and so many berries ripe for the picking. Summer salads full of tomatoes, lettuce, and peppers are at their best, and you’re going to want this fresh corn in every meal.
Below we’ll talk about the available produce and share some of our favorite ways to enjoy them. You’ll get the biggest bang for your buck by cooking with local, fresh produce perfect for cooking healthy, nutritious meals. Check back each month for more recipes for the best garden pickings.
Blueberries
In just 3.5 ounces of blueberries (another keto-friendly fruit), you get 57 calories, 14.5 grams carbs, 2.4 grams fiber, and 0.7 grams protein. They help hydrate you while also providing big doses of Vitamin K1, Vitamin C, and Manganese!
Mangos
Tropical fruits like mangos are amazing in so many smoothies, desserts, even tasty salsas! They are high in Vitamin C, Folate, Vitamin B6, and many more vitamins and minerals! Here are some of my favorite recipes using these tropical fruits:
Peaches
Fresh peaches in the summertime just cannot be beat! This sweet fruit is full of vitamins and antioxidants, perfect for keeping yourself nourished and full of energy! Here are some of our favorite recipes to use up peaches:
Raspberries
Besides being beautiful, raspberries pack a great punch with 64 calories, 14.7 grams carbs, 8 grams fiber, and 1.5 grams protein per cup. You will get a great dose of Vitamin C and helpful antioxidants!
Check out these amazing raspberry recipes:
Watermelon
Refreshing, delicious watermelon juice dripping down your hand is the moment you know it is summer! This melon is full of water and fiber, making it a healthy snack (even keto in small quantities). One cup of diced watermelon has 46 calories, 11 grams of carbs, 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of protein, and TONS of Vitamin C.
Cherries
Fresh cherries are a super delicious blend of sweet and tart. While they are not keto, they do have some great health benefits! Each cup has 97 calories, 25 grams carbs, 3 grams fiber, and 2 grams protein and a good amount of Vitamin C!
Avocados
The creamy texture and mild flavor of avocados makes them a natural go-to for tons of recipes! This fruit helps thicken smoothies, adds healthy fat to salsas, and bulks up any meal to give you more energy.
Excellent avocado recipes:
Tomatoes
We have SO many tomato recipes because we love growing so many different varieties in our garden! We can many, many jars of tomatoes for our favorite soups all winter long. If you are keto, just remember to use in moderation. One small tomato has 18 calories, 3.9 grams of carbs, 1.2 grams fiber, and 1 gram of protein. There is also plenty of Vitamins B9, C, K, and Potassium.
Some of our favorite tomato recipes:
August Vegetables
Corn
The fields of corn all around us are starting to come in handy! In one cup of sweet yellow corn, you’ll get 177 calories, 41 grams of carbs, 4.6 grams of fiber, and 5.4 grams of protein. It is an amazing source of Vitamins B1, B9, and C as well as Magnesium and Potassium!
Corn recipes you are going to LOVE:
Greens
You can always find a great crop of greens at the farmer’s market in summer months, and August is no exception. Here are some of our favorite recipes for these summer greens:
Cucumber
Cucumbers are so refreshing, they can even help you stay hydrated! One medium cucumber has 30 calories, 6 grams carbs, 2 grams fiber, and 3 grams protein. They are also a great source of Vitamin K and Potassium! Cucumbers are amazing in this Sugar-Free Lemonade, too!
Zucchini & Summer Squash
Is it even really summer if you do not have a basket full of delicious yellow squash?! One medium squash has about 32 calories, 7 grams of carbs, 2.2 grams of fiber, and 2.4 grams of protein, and you get a lot of Vitamin B6, C, and Potassium!
Some of our favorite summer squash recipes:
- Crispy Baked Squash
- Gluten-Free Veggie Fritters
- Air Fryer Squash
- Cheddar Corn Muffins
- Air Fryer Sausage & Veggies
Zucchini is SO versatile, the start of its season means we have a TON of new zucchini recipes to try! One medium zucchini squash has about 33 calories, 6 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fiber, 2.4 grams of protein, and loads of vitamins and minerals (especially Vitamin C, B6, and Potassium).
Best zucchini recipes for summer:
Bell Peppers
Delicious peppers can be enjoyed raw or cooked for a versatile, healthy snack! The nutritional value varies between green, yellow, and red peppers, but you can generally assume 100 grams of bell pepper will have 20-30 calories, 5-6 grams carbs, 1-2 grams fiber, and 1 gram of protein. Yellow peppers have the most Vitamin C, red peppers have the most Vitamin A, and they all have a good amount of other vitamins and minerals.
Our favorite recipes using bell peppers:
Green Beans
For a healthy, tasty side dish, you cannot go wrong with fresh green beans. You can enjoy a whole cup of green beans for just 31 calories, 7 grams carbs, 3.4 grams fiber, and 1.8 grams protein. You will get a big dose of Vitamin C, too!
Hot peppers
You can get tons of delicious hot peppers like jalapenos, habaneros, chilis, and more in August! A little goes a long way with these tasty, spicy veggies. Nutrition varies depending on the type of pepper, but you are sure to add loads of flavor without a lot of fat or calories!
Amazing recipes with hot peppers:
Okra
Okra is a southern staple, and it adds an interesting texture and flavor to any dish! We love to bread and freeze our garden okra to make the delicious air fryer okra shown above and linked below. One cup of raw okra has 33 calories, 7.5 grams of carbs, 3.2 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, and plenty of vitamins and antioxidants.
Potatoes
Potatoes are often available year-round, but we love when our winter potatoes are ready in the summer! One medium russet potato has 168 calories, 37 grams of carbs, 4 grams of fiber, and 4.5 grams of protein. It is a great source for potassium and iron, too!
The BEST potato recipes:
Onions
Onions of all different kinds are available in August! While red, white, and yellow onions may have some slight differences in nutrition, you can expect a 100-gram serving to have about 30-40 calories, 7.5-9.5 grams carbs, 1-1.5 grams of fiber, and 0.8-1.5 grams of protein. You will get some potassium and calcium as well.
Recipes that let the onions shine:
- Chicken Cobb Salad – Tasty red onions add a sharp, bright flavor!
- Baked Onion Rings – Those sweet vidalia onions are best in this one.
- Grilled Vegetable Wraps – I used red onion, but grilled yellow onions would be great, too.
- French Onion Chicken – All the deep, rich flavor of the soup but in a 30-minute skillet!
- BBQ Chicken Foil Packs – Thick red onion pairs perfectly with the tangy sauce.
Fresh herbs
Herbs can be grown indoors or on a front porch, in pots or in the ground. They are low maintenance and can elevate nearly any dish from bland and boring to a super flavorful culinary masterpiece! Fresh basil, rosemary, thyme, mint, cilantro, and more bring tons of benefits to the kitchen! Here are some of my favorite ways to use fresh herbs:
- The BEST Recipes with Pesto
- Caprese Salad
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Tomato Galette
- Garlic Butter Steak Bites
- Mint Julep
- Rosemary Gin Fizz