Until recently, I’ve been mindless grocery shopping – not really caring about what goes into my cart, just marking off items as I go down my list. But after reading Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma, my whole food point of view changed. I’d never really given much thought to where my food comes from or how many preservatives/artificial flavors it contained. I’m now an avid locovore – trying to eat as close to home as possible.

I used to get so excited when I’d see blueberries on the grocery shelf in January. By far my favorite food on the planet, I bought several boxes to curb my craving. But they never had that true blue blueberry flavor, and I always ended up disappointed. When I finally realized that one little box traveled over 5,000 miles (from Chile) to my refrigerator and the berries weren’t picked fully ripe, I stopped buying them. Even though I still get blueberry cravings, I think I’ll wait until I can shop locally. Not only am I helping to cut down on greenhouse gases, but I’m supporting local farmers.

Once harvested, fruits and vegetables start to loose their freshness and flavor. That’s why it’s best to eat foods soon after you’ve purchased them. When produce is grown in another hemisphere and shipped here to the US, it must be picked before it’s ripe. That means that a tomato from Mexico or further South hasn’t had time to develop its peak flavor. Sometimes producers use special gasses to encourage the produce to ripen during transit, but it still doesn’t compare to good old sunshine.

Summer is a perfect time to start eating fresh and local. Farmer’s markets are in full bloom in our area, making it simple to buy foods grown and produced in our back yard. There are also a growing number of farms called CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) that deliver a fresh box of produce to your door once a week. I love the surprise of not knowing what will arrive – and I also know whatever it is, it will be at the peak of freshness. It even encourages me to eat things I wouldn’t normally buy in the store. Fresh beet greens and sunchokes anyone?

So the next time you’re pushing your cart through the grocery store, try a little mindful shopping. Take a look at what those Wheat Thins have in them or where your broccoli really comes from. I bet you might be surprised!

Summer Food Reading List
Interested in reading more about where your food comes from? Try these three books:

The Omnivore’s Dilemma
Michael Pollan

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
Barbara Kingsolver

Twinkie, Deconstructed
Steve Ettlinger

Eating Local Resources

• Looking for a Farmer’s Market or a CSA near you? Try the Local Harvest website.
• Want to be more involved? Join the Slow Food movement.
• Wondering how to start eating local? Take the Eat Local Challenge.

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