#FoodWasteFriday: Eating Seasonally, Buying Locally
It is November, which often means that with the turning of the page on our calendars, we are putting our gardens to bed, winterizing our yards and homes, and preparing for the fluffy white stuff to arrive.
As you engage your seasonal work — in whatever shape and size it may be — don’t forget to prepare your fridge and plate for a shift as well!
Eating seasonally and sourcing your food locally has many positive impacts. While the outcomes are worth the effort, we know that this lifestyle shift can be a bit challenging at the beginning.
How to begin to eat seasonally and source locally:
Check out BuyLocalFoodNY and use their database to help you locate where you can source the food item you are looking for.
Create a habit of making a weekly menu that highlights the produce of the season. Need some help knowing what food items are in season? Check out this list!
If shopping at a grocery store, pay attention the the “grown in/produced in ______” stickers and pick ones that are closer in distance to you. Oftentimes, there will be Washington State grown apples right next to New York grown apples.
Establish some favorite meals and traditions. Part of learning how to eat seasonally is having dishes or traditions that you can lean into each year. From an autumnal apple crisp or a wintery creamy squash soup, to Springtime ramps or summery homemade raspberry jam, there is something to delight in each season!
Top reasons to eat seasonally and source locally:
Eating seasonally and locally can improve your physical health — Seasonal allergy reduction, an increase of “good guys” in your gut biome, and more, can all occur when you introduce a wider variety of foods into your diet. (This variation of diet naturally occurs if you eat with the seasons, so no need to overthink it!) Also, did you know that local foods are often more nutritious than store-bought foods? #fact
It will reduce your environmental impact — Food that has traveled across the U.S. (or world) to get to your plate has a much higher impact on our environment because of the gas used for transport and plastic often used for packaging. Give the earth a bit of a hug and source closer to home.
You’ll eat tastier items — Your taste buds will thank you for eating local, as local produce is more likely to be ripened on the farm and picked at peak before being harvested and delivered. Peak picking = where the taste is at!
It supports your neighbor — When you buy locally produced food, the money you spend often stays right in your community. Bonus point of purchasing local: You actually get to know your neighborhood farmer or producer, too!
It reduces food waste — More than half of all food waste occurs along the supply chain. Purchasing directly from your local farmer or producer is one way to voice your preference for a shorter, less wasteful supply chain.
Remember…
Good things take time. Making small changes over longer periods of time is often the best way to create sustainable change in your diet and daily doings. Pick one change to enact this month and then a new one next month and soon you’ll be eating seasonally and sourcing locally like a pro!
