Buy Locally… Eat Seasonally
October 25, 2008 – 7:13 pmIf you are fortunate enough to have a local farmers market, or even individual farms selling their crop, shop there before you shop at your grocery store. Of course, many smaller grocery stores will carry local produce. The idea is to 1) help support your local economy, 2) help reduce our nation’s energy consumption by purchasing produce that is not shipped long distance, and 3) help reduce your grocery bill. Buying produce locally is the first step.
The second step is to eat seasonally whenever possible. For instance, we just got back from a trip to our local farmer’s market, our arms loaded down with a beautiful assortment of squash. Why squash and not sweet peas, tomatoes, or corn? Because it’s Autumn and there are countless varieties of squash available. Our dinner will include squash tonight because it’s that time of year. You say your kids won’t eat squash? How about eggplant? An eggplant Parmesan dish is usually a hit with kids because most kids will eat anything as long as it is covered in Parmesan cheese. Depending on what part of the world you live in, there will be an abundance of certain vegetables and fruits at different times of the year. Even in the coldest climates, you will find root crops oftentimes through December and sometimes beyond, so your dinner may include rutabaga, carrots, and potatoes. You’ll always be better off, both nutritionally and economically, if you purchase your produce from the closest location possible.
Before mass transportation of food existed, we humans ate what was available to us. I guarantee that if you eat vegetables and fruits that have very recently been picked from the tree or ground, the value you get for your dollar will be much better than produce shipped in from thousands of miles away. However, you needn’t totally deny yourself. If you really want a particular vegetable or fruit, and it is out of season in your area, it’s okay to buy it frozen. At least it was fresh when they froze it! The purpose here is to think about your produce supply before you buy. Not only will you eat healthier, you’ll eat happier