When it comes to fresh fruit and vegetables, August is prime time. Every year, we look forward to National Farmers’ Market Week, a great opportunity to shop local and eat fresh. This year, National Farmers’ Market Week falls on August 7 through 13.
Food is at its tastiest and most nutritious when it is fresh and it doesn’t get much fresher than when a local grower drives it from the farm to your local market. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can even buy enough to freeze or can so that you can have that farm-fresh goodness into the winter months.
If you’re really ambitious and you’d like to get a little exercise and fresh air with your food, you might even try visiting a farm that allows you to pick your own.
When it comes to fruits and vegetables, More Matters. USDA dietary guidelines often emphasize that as a nation, we don’t eat enough vegetables, fruits, high-fiber whole grains, low-fat milk and milk products, and seafood. Our diets rely too heavily on what are called SoFAS – food with added sugars and solid fats – as well as refined grains and sugar. Many nutritionists encourage adopting patterns of eating that have been shown to be healthful, such as Mediterranean-style dietary patterns and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating patterns.
Here are some resources to find a farmers’ market near you:
- Local Harvest Farmers Markets
- USDA Local Food Directories: National Farmers Market Directory
- Pick Your Own Farms
- Eat Well Guide – sustainable farms, restaurants, markets
And here are some additional fruit & vegetable resources: