Resolving to Eat Better

With the new year here, many of us wish to have a new start to habits and goals. Many new year’s resolutions revolve around losing weight or being healthier. One of the best ways to be healthier is to adopt a local food lifestyle. Sticking to a diet never works but making a doable lifestyle change can be key to making lasting change. With some of the simple tips below, eating locally grown can help achieve your resolution!

Why eating locally grown is a lifestyle that makes us healthier:

• Locally grown foods are fresher – besides tasting better, fresh locally grown foods have been harvested more recently and therefore retain more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, making them more nutritious than food that has traveled a long distance. 

• Many local farms use organic farming practices – most corporate farms use harmful pesticides and herbicides. Local organic farms do not, therefore providing you with healthier produce.

• Trying new foods – eating locally grown and in season gives you the opportunity to try new foods that you may not have otherwise, letting you explore new ingredients, recipes and cuisines.

• Produce grown with regenerative farming practices is more nutritious – read more about the science here.

• Adding more produce to our diet is good for us– eating fresh, locally grown food invites us to eat more fruits and vegetables – meaning more fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants and therefore a healthier you.

How to eat local in Bucks County:

• Purchase your fresh produce from local farmers markets – list of farmers markets
• Join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program – list of CSA farms in Bucks County
• Shop at a local farm stand – list of farms stands and retail stores in Bucks
• Have a meal at a local farm to table restaurant – restaurants in Bucks that purchase ingredients from local farmers 
• Start your own garden

Benefits beyond yourself:

• Supports small businesses and farms – purchasing from local family farms supports our local economy.

• Less waste and packaging – usually local farm products will have less packaging and plastic.

• Reduces greenhouse gasses – locally grown food travels fewer miles than most grocery store produce, and fresh, less processed food saves energy and resources.

• Supports sustainable farming practices – purchasing from local farms that use sustainable practices supports wildlife, water, soil and our local environment.

Do yourself a favor and eat local in 2023!