Six Reasons To Eat Local Food
I have a confession. I love Saturday morning excursions to the farmer’s markets. Seeing familiar faces, touching and tasting new foods, and going home with the best produce in town just makes me happy inside.
And it looks like I am not the only person who has a keen interest in local food. Across the country, people are showing that they care about the food they eat by shopping at farmer’s markets, vegetable stands, CSA’s and food co-op’s. Even schools and communities are getting involved by planting gardens in any open space that will grow food. Whoo-hoo!
The growing demand for quality local produce has given small farmers an opportunity to share their freshest harvest with the people who live near them. So knowing your local farmer has benefits! Local produce is tastier, fresher, and more nutritious than heavily processed products. Plus, supporting your local farmer gives your family an opportunity to know where your food comes from.
For parents, getting to know your local farmer is a great way to teach your child how food is grown. Did you see the television episode of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, where very few of the elementary school kids were able to recognize basic vegetables like tomatoes or potatoes. That’s because so many children in this country are accustomed to manufactured foods that they have no knowledge of what real food looks like. It’s time for us to get back to the basics - for our children’s sake.
By buying local you gain piece of mind, knowing your food was carefully grown and recently harvested to give you the best food product available. And when you choose to cook and eat local, you’re supporting your local agriculture and reconnecting with the environment. With our busy lifestyles, we sometimes forget that our health depends on the environment and that the health of the environment depends on us.
Locally grown produce is generally cheaper than grocery store produce. Why? Farmers can afford to charge less for their food when the cost of production is lower. No expensive transportation costs are incurred to transport their food down the road from their farms to the market. As a result, local farmers are able to pass their savings on to you. When your produce is fresher and cheaper at farmer’s markets, how can you go wrong?
Need a good reason to eat local food? Here are six for you to choose from!
Local produce…
1. Tastes better
2. Is better for you
3. Is cheaper
4. Supports the environment
5. Preserves our health
6. Supports local farmers and the local economy
This weekend - visit your local farmer’s market - you’ll be glad you did!
Want to eat more local food? Trying to escape food additives and preservatives? Tonya Peele is your go-to person for questions about natural foods and everyday health. Her new book, “Quick Wins for Healthy Eating”, breaks it down for you, making it simpler than ever to eat better and have fun in the kitchen. Go to www.tonyapeele.com to download a sample chapter of her book and sign up for her natural food newsletter.
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Susan Shipe
September 1, 2011 at 10:49 am
I love our local Farmer's Market - not only food, but local crafts and you get to see people you haven't seen in ages!!! Great info, Tonya!
Tonya Peele
September 1, 2011 at 9:41 pm
You can also collect some great recipes at the market.
hopemagazine
September 1, 2011 at 9:50 pm
Love supporting the Farmer's Market. Just the atmosphere is great! I agree with Susan you see people you haven't seen forever. Keep these post coming Tonya!
women magazine
December 7, 2011 at 11:58 pm
Nice Blog.I like to Know more regarding this topic.Please post some more recipes…..