Eat Local for Health and Community

By Monica Hunsberger, PhD, MPH, RD

On June 8, 2011, Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD introduced you to the new version of MyPyramid, in her post titled The Wrap on MyPlate. As Molly explained, the MyPlate visual depicts a plate filled with fruits and vegetables on one side of the plate and grains and protein making up the rest.  Preferably half of the grain should be whole grain and fortunately La Tortilla Factory makes this part easy.  (I love the Sonoma Organic Wraps that have 15 grams of whole grain per wrap).   If consuming this amount of fruits and vegetables seems unusual to you, perhaps a visit to your local farmers market will leave you inspired.

Local markets, farm stands, road side stands, etc, have long been part of the fabric of America but only recently have we had such focus on eating more local and shopping farmers markets.

The reasons for this are many but to name a few:

• Farmer’s markets build community (you meet the growers and bump into friends and neighbors)
• You spend your money locally (instead of supporting foreign imports you can support a neighbor)
• Your food travels fewer miles (less fossil fuel and fresher produce)

You can find a wealth of information at Smarter Living. This site allows you to search for markets in your area. If you do not find a market in your area perhaps you can encourage your local grocer to start a “locally grown” produce section or if you have lots of enthusiasm you might start a local market in your area.

You can also find a seasonal ingredients map at Epicurious

As an example, eggplant is available for many now and an eggplant puree would be fabulous inside a Sonoma Wrap layered with tomatoes, lettuce, and shredded zucchini.  Here’s a delicious recipe to try, Eggplant Puree with Walnuts.

The possibilities are endless, go to the market and let the colors of summer entice you, pickup your favorite La Tortilla Wraps and start building fantastic summer meals.