Farmers Market Finds
I know that a lot of people think it is expensive to eat local, or organic, or vegetarian, or all of the above. And when I shop at Superstore and see how incredibly inexpensive some of the stuff is, especially packaged or bulk foods, I can understand the concern. From the picture above, you can see all the produce I bought at the Farmers Market today. I bought: apples, oranges, leeks, cauliflower, arugula, kale, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, tomatillos, and a giant bag of sweet peppers. Most of it is local. What’s not local is organic other than a few items. Would you like to know what produce for a week for a mostly vegetarian family of 4 cost me? $24. That’s all. Most Farmers stands at the Market have dollar deal sections. Produce that is slightly less than perfect, but definitely good enough for me! Today I managed to find lots of variety there!
By my calculations, what I spent on produce is approximately the cost of a couple 2 litre bottles of pop, a box or two of granola bars, a box of sugary cereal, a box of crackers and a bag of chips.
So my challenge for you this week, to my friends and readers who are trying to make even small changes to be healthier, give up one or two of your regular pantry snack items, and put that money into trying one or two new fruits or vegetables. Try to find something local even just “kind of local”!
I know that money is tight for lots of people in this economy. I’m not oblivious to financial challenges and having to live on a pretty tight budget. But I do believe that you put your money where your heart is. Convenience food is delightfully convenient. It is also full of chemicals and preservatives. Canned food is full of sodium. Cheap isn’t always better. Frugality is not necessarily our highest calling.
Living healthy can be summarized in a very simple formula: drink lots of water, eat food that is fresh and unprocessed, sleep, move, love. Live healthy today!
