Top 5 Reasons to Eat Locally [Seasonally]

Good Morning!  I hope everyone had a great week.

Again, it is raining here and I can't write this post from my patio.  😞 As you can see, I am really sad about this.

Today, I wanted to share my top 5 reasons to shop at your local Farmers' Market.

#5 – Eat the Colors of the Rainbow

When you go to the farmers’ market, go with an open mind and try new fruits and vegetables that are in season. That way you get a wider variety of nutrients through a more diverse food selection. Variety is, after all, the spice of life. Here is a link to see what is in season for Michigan.  

#4 – Better Nutrition 

You’ll be getting fresher, more nutrient-dense food to support the health of you and your family when you shop seasonally. As soon as a plant is harvested, it begins to deteriorate as soon as it is picked, and this decreases its nutrient content in the process. Fruits and vegetables contain the most nutrients when they are ripe, but when they are transported all over the world for out-of-season consumption (which can sometimes take weeks), they are picked prior to ripeness, and the decomposition process immediately begins. 

#3 – More Affordable

As a beautiful assortment of colorful fruits and vegetables become abundant this time of year, they become more affordable, too, due to increased availability and reduced cost of shipping. 

#2 – Decrease Fossil Fuel Consumption

Eating seasonal foods can also dramatically decrease fossil fuel consumption by cutting down on transportation costs. On average, most of our food travels 1500 miles to get to our plates. Choosing to buy foods that are in season and local to your region is a win-win for you and the farmers, while also softening the environmental impact.

#1 – Healthiest Choice

As you have read, going to a Farmers’ Market is the healthiest choice you can make for you and your family. When you support your local farmers, you help to maintain farmland in your community and the money you spend is cycled back into local businesses. Plus, when you buy local you can form relationships with your farmers—meaning you get the inside scoop on their growing practices. Many small farmers can’t afford organic certification, but oftentimes if you get to know them and tour their farms you can see they still use healthy farming practices.  Check out this link to find a Farmers’ Market in your community.

Who is going to the Farmers' Market today?  If you go, please leave me a post of where you went and what you purchased.

Thanks for reading.

Make it a week of eating the RAINBOW.