Why You Should Eat Local
By Sara Butler
It's summer, which means your local farmers market is likely in full swing. If you've ever perused it, then you know it's full of the bountiful harvests of whatever season you are in. There are many reasons why you may pass up the local ingredients found at your farmers market, but there are several reasons why you should explore them. Here are a few of the ways eating locally can benefit your health and your community.
The Food Is Fresh
Food that is grown locally doesn't have to travel far to get to your plate -- but the things found at your local grocery store often do. Local food that is fresher will taste better since it was likely picked in the couple of days before you purchased it -- maybe even the morning you bought it. That gives fruits and vegetables more time on the vine to ripen, creating a juicier, tastier product.
Also, local items such as eggs can be a lot fresher than the mass-produced eggs found in your grocery store and that can have a real impact on just how tasty the dishes you create with them can be. It's definitely something you should try!
The Food is Nutritious
It may sound crazy, but local, freshly-picked foods are packed with more nutrients than food that has to travel long distances.
For example, Vitamin C, a crucial vitamin for your overall health, starts to degrade in a food as soon as it is plucked from the vine. For foods found in grocery stores, that means the Vitamin C could have had a much longer time to degrade than in locally sourced produce. Plus, the antioxidants in many foods begin to degrade as they sit in storage, something locally grown food won't have an issue with as long as it's fresh.
Basically, the less food has to travel from its source to your plate, the more nutritious it is for you -- especially when it comes to vegetables and fruits.
You Can Try New Things
Eating locally produced food may inspire you to try new things. That's because you may find fruits and vegetables, and even meat, that you've never seen or had before. Discovering these items is a great way to learn more about your community and to expand your taste buds. Go to your local farmers market and try one new thing each time -- you may lament that you've never tried it before!
There are so many reasons to try your local farmers market -- so give it a try!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Houston, Texas.