Finally it is trendy and profitable to be green! We get federal tax credits for applying or installing energy efficient items in our homes and businesses. Now a new sector of employment, there is even a special term for jobs in the “being-green” industry called “green-collar” jobs. We can make green while being green! One of the easiest and least expensive ways to “go green” is by eating locally grown foods. An added perk – it’s healthier too!
Top 10 Reasons to Eat Locally Grown Foods:
Be Kind to your Taste Buds: Taste the Difference
Produce has more time to ripen when eaten locally. Instead of picking bananas that are green and hard that ripen in a truck, you can eat a banana that was picked 24 hours ago. Believe me, you can taste the difference. These foods are picked at their peak taste. It’s that simple.
Know What You’re Eating
E. Coli in our spinach, peanut-butter, ice-cream and romaine lettuce recalled nation-wide; it’s hard to know what is really in our food. The US does not require genetically modified foods to be labeled as such. Add pesticides, preservatives, “organic” versus “natural”, free-range and grass-fed to the mix and it can be hard to find answers. If you want control over what you put in your body, eat foods that are grown locally. It’s much easier to get answers.
Get In Touch with Mother Nature
When we eat with the seasons we are in harmony with the environment. Summer fruits and vegetables (like berries, tomatoes and cucumbers) are light and refreshing to keep us cool in the summer heat. Root vegetables are perfect for stews and keep us warm, strong and grounded in the winter.
Give Back: Support Small Farms
According to Food Inc., the average grocery store has 47,000 products on its shelves but only a handful of corporations actually own and control these products. These corporations strongly influence our government that create and enforce policies concerning food production and safety. We can change this by voting at grocery stores. The scanners cast our vote when we buy organic or not, local or not, etc. Do you need proof? Walmart started to carry organic products because of customer requests.
Local Food = Local Economy
Money that is made locally typically stays within the community.
Rediscover Your Neighborhood
You are more likely to have a conversation or hear a story about the food you’re going to eat when you shop locally. The stories add character to your meal.
Have New Travel Experiences
See cities in a new way when you travel! You’ll meet interesting people who are likely to give you a real flavor of your destination city or town; more than sightseeing or eating at touristy restaurants.
Discover Variety
When a farmer does not have the pressure of growing “name brand” produce to sell to large grocery stores, he can experiment with new kinds of produce. Each variety of a fruit or vegetable provides different phytonutrients (these are health protecting compounds found in plants).
Be Social
Most of us consider grocery shopping to be an obligation, something that’s not meant to be fun or enjoyable; stores or crowded and lines are long. Eat locally and you will find the complete opposite is true.
Be Healthier (may be even lose some weight!)
Fewer pesticides and preservatives, seasonal eating, variety of fruits and veggies, fresh and rich tasting – what part of eating locally grown foods is unhealthy?
Be Green
Eating locally grown foods:
• Puts fewer chemicals into the air from pesticides and preservatives.
• Uses less oil and gas to get your food from the place it’s grown to your plate.
• Protects biodiversity.
• Lets the farmer focus on actually growing your food – not the processing, packaging, refrigeration and marketing – all of which deplete energy and natural resources.
I encourage you to rediscover your neighborhood and try locally grown foods! What better way to give back to your community, benefit the environment, yourself and loved ones all at the same time!
Tags: Eating Local, Organic