Baby Step to Local #2
Switching to a local diet may seem daunting. As I constantly have to remind myself, it is not an all-or-nothing venture. It’s important to start taking small baby steps and working a few local items into your routine. Taking your time to becoming a more conscious consumer is how to start. You can reference my previous post on Baby Step #1: Avoid foods you see advertised on television, the web, or in a magazine.
Baby Step #2:
Choose 5 foods in your house that you can eat locally.
Forget emptying out your whole pantry or fridge, and simply choose 5 items that would be very easy to buy locally. Here are my suggestions.
- Local Milk – switching to local milk is quite possibly the easiest change without sacrificing quality, price or taste. In Nashville you can buy local milk at the Woodbine Farmers Market, 12 South Farmers Market, East Nashville Farmers Market, Whole Foods, Turnip Truck, and The Produce Place.
- Local Eggs – once you start eating local eggs, you can never go back. They are full of flavor with their vibrant yokes. Make sure to ask if they are free range, and what they are fed.
- Local Bread – You can usually find local bread at just about any farmers market or grocery store, as well as individual bakeries. There is nothing quite like freshly baked bread (the French have got it right)
- Local Honey – Local honey is quite possibly one of the best things you can do for allergies, and it makes a great substitute for sugar.
- Local Veg – If you are a frequent shopper at farmers markets, Whole foods or local grocery stores, you can find great local vegetables. Start with just one thing, don’t think all your vegetables have to be local. Experiment and find something that you like.
The key here is to find what would be the easiest to change to a local source for you. Start with small things. 5 items is the perfect goal and a challenge to incorporate into your routine. You can always work your way up one item at a time.
What items do you buy locally?
My personal local items I always buy are local milk, local meat, local desserts, local cheese, and about 60% local veggies.
This is so great! I think what you are doing for the local food movement and for our planet is extraordinary!! Keep up the good work, please, Ms. Crimmins. Seriously, can’t say enough…
Carrie, thank you so much! It’s a vitally important movement and am lucky to be part of it.
Check. Check. And check.
Now … I have to get
1. brave enough to cook with them—try new things
2. committed enough to do the work.
Eating out or buying already prepared foods is my default.
Try getting something that is easy without cooking. Maybe that’s lettuce for a salad, or fresh fruit for a snack. You have to make it realistic for you. If you eat out, choose a restaurant that uses local ingredients. Or maybe for you eating local means buying prepared foods from the market that you just have to warm up. Baby steps
These are great ideas and a great site. My husband and I eat almost entirely local now, but it’s taken us years to get here. We just kept adding to the things we make and grow ourselves, until we finally realized we were hardly spending any money at traditional grocery stores anymore!
Wow, what an inspiration! Each year gets easier for me – it really has to become a lifestyle and that takes time of undoing years of grocery store habits. Thanks so sharing!
Great ideas! Local food does taste better- thank you for pointing out the best stores/places to find it!
Thanks Sandra. It’s amazing how much more flavorful local food really is. Thanks for the feedback!
Thanks for sharing this great info … would defentley recommend others.
Thanks
Memon