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!
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