On Saturday I made my first trip this year to a local Farmer's Market. I'm lucky in that I have a choice of three different farmer's market's in my area which run on different days, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Once they're up and running I can usually make at least one of them weekly, and often I make two or three.
There are also a few local farmer's I go to once the season gets rolling as well. From July through October, my supermarket trips are cut down by half because most of my food shopping is at the farms and farmer's markets (not to mention produce from my own garden as well).
As any of you know who have been reading my blog, I advocate eating a mostly plant-based diet if you want to lose weight and keep it off. And by plant-based, I mean eating actual fruits and vegetables in the state that God created them. The more you frequent farmers and farmers' markets, the more fruits and vegetables you'll buy and, hopefully, eat.
And, by attending local farmers' markets and frequenting local farms you know you are getting the freshest, tastiest fruits and vegetables around. You also get to chat with the farmers themselves, and find out exactly how they grow their produce. Most are either certified organic or use organic methods (because they can't afford the expense of actually getting certified).
On Saturday I picked up a large box of locally grown strawberries--the kind that really don't travel well which are more intensely flavored then those big dull tasting ones from the supermarket which do travel well. One farmer had a beautiful mesclun mix which I've been using for my lunch-time salads.
I also picked up some beautiful tomatoes and zucchini which the farmer grew under plastic. The tomatoes and zucchini formed the basis of a pasta sauce I made for dinner that night.
If you want to find local farmers and farmers' markets, check out www.localharvest.org. You can plug in your zip code to find the freshest, tastiest fruits and veggies in your area.
This has been one of the biggest challenges to my new lifestyle. We have a Super WalMart in our small town and that is it.
ReplyDeleteAs always, I enjoy your blog very much and it has been very useful to me. Planning and preparing meals now takes more time, but I am amazed at the wonderful fruits and veggies I can enjoy and feel better.
Yes, cooking your own food takes more time, but remember, you're also burning more calories by preparing it. It takes quite a few more calories to actually prepare a meal than it does to sit on a sofa and order a pizza.
ReplyDeleteYou're not the first to comment that finding fresh fruits and vegetables is difficult in your area. That is truly sad. Try to see if there are any local farms or farmers' markets, however. And, if worse comes to worse, try to grow your own.
Spot on with this write-up, I seriously believe that this site needs a lot more attention.
ReplyDeleteI'll probably be returning to read through more, thanks for the info!
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