Written by Stacie DeLucia
If you have been looking for a new way to eat healthier, support your local community, or get your kids involved in the kitchen, try eating seasonally! If you are local to middle Tennessee, you know there are so many wonderful farms and farmers markets to explore all year round. If not, I still encourage you to investigate what options might be out there for buying local produce. Here are some reasons why it’s a good idea for you and your family:
- Local produce has more nutrients!
- Once a piece of produce is picked, it starts to lose nutrients, and therefore, the closer to the harvest time, the more nutrients the produce will have. Most local markets pick their produce within 24 hours of selling at the market; this is great news for nutrient content! Recent studies have shown that the farther away the produce travels, the less nutrients the produce had. One study in particular shows that the vitamin C content of broccoli was cut in half when it was shipped from out of the country, versus locally.
- Additionally, we get more nutrients from the soil of local produce. Not only does the soil of our produce have nutrients for the plants, but it also has nutrients for us! The soil has its own microbiome, and when we eat the plants from it, we get some of those healthy bacteria as well. This is another reason why it is important to get high quality produce because it directly affects our microbiomes! Researchers have proven that local and organic farms have healthier soil microbiomes than conventional farms, so when in doubt, buy local or organic.
- You get to know your farmer!
- Another benefit of buying local produce is that you get to know the people growing what you are eating. This is a great benefit because you can go directly to the grower and ask what the produce is being sprayed with, and what their standards and growing practices are. Sometimes, you can even go right to the farm and see the process of it all right in front of you. Talk about transparency!
- It helps the local economy.
- When you buy from local farmers and markets, it keeps the money in the community and 100% of that purchase goes to that small business, rather than when you buy produce at a big business grocery store. It also helps create more jobs in the community as the demand for the local farms grow.
- It increases creativity in the kitchen.
- Checking out your local market and seeing what they have on a weekly basis can be a fun way to help switch things up in the kitchen. If you are someone who likes to try new recipes, it is always exciting to find something new at the market that you can incorporate into your dinner or meal prep. You can even make a game out of it with your kids by having them scope out the new produce item each week. It will help get them involved in the process, and they will be a lot more likely to try and even eat the new produce item, especially when they were involved in the process of adding it to dinner!
Resources
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17852499/
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/1/7
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8465994/
So, what’s in season this spring and how can I incorporate it?
- In Tennessee, we have these produce items available: Asparagus, Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots, Collard Greens, Kale, Lettuce, Onions, Spinach, Zucchini, Strawberries, Raspberries
Try some of these recipe ideas created by our Functional Registered Dietitian:
- Tricolor Spring Slaw
- 1 Head of Red Cabbage, Shredded (about 2-3 cups)
- 1 cup Shredded Carrots
- 1 cups of Broccoli stems cut into thin sticks
- 1 cup Broccoli florets chopped into ½ inch pieces
- ½ red onion sliced
- Dressing: combine ¼ cup mayo, 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, juice of ½ a lemon or 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced, and pinch of salt and cracked black pepper, 2 Tbsp. honey or maple syrup
- Combine all cut and prepped veggies into a large bowl.
- In separate small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until emulsified and then pour over the vegetable mixture and stir to coat them.
- Cover the slaw and let it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Serve chilled and enjoy!
- Strawberry Kale Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing
- 4 cups of Lacinato/Tuscan Kale, shredded or chopped
- 4 cups of Baby Arugula or Spinach
- 1 lb. of Strawberries, sliced
- 1 cup Blueberries
- 1 cup Pecans
- 1 lb. Protein of Choice (Grilled chicken or Salmon is recommended)
- 1 large Avocado, sliced or diced OR ¼ cup sheep/goat feta cheese
- Dressing: Whisk together ¼ cup balsamic vinegar + 1-2 garlic clove, minced + 1-2 Tbsp. honey + 1/3 Tbsp. olive oil + pinch of salt + pepper
- Combine all the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl starting in the order of the ingredient list.
- Whisk the dressing ingredients in a large pourable measuring cup and pour the dressing overtop or serve on the side and have your guests pour their own portion.
- Serve with salad tongs & enjoy!
- Creamy Pea Pesto with Zucchini Noodles
- 2 Medium Zucchini, spiralized into noodles, or about 3 cups of zoodles (fresh), patted completely dry with paper towel
- 1 pint of Cherry Tomatoes, halved
- ½ block of feta cheese (4 oz.) or substitute mozzarella
- 1 lb. grilled or baked or grilled protein of choice (We recommend Chicken, Salmon, or Shrimp)
- 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
- Salt and Cracked Black Pepper to taste
- For homemade pesto (makes 1 cup):
- 2 cloves of Garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 cup of Fresh Basil
- 2-4 Tbsp cup Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup Fresh Peas, blanched
- Pinch of Salt and Cracked Black Pepper, to taste
- 1 cup baby arugula
- 1-2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
- Add all ingredients into a food processor and blend to desired consistency. It should be slightly liquid to coat the noodles.
- Directions:
- In a medium sauté pan, add the olive oil to coat the bottom and add in the zucchini noodles. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté for 5-8 minutes until slightly soft, tossing the noodles to cook evenly.
- Put in a large bowl and add the arugula and then pour in the pesto and toss to coat all the noodles and arugula.
- Add on top the protein, tomatoes, and feta and serve with a side of carbs to complete the meal. You can toss in some of your favorite gluten free spaghetti to the zucchini noodles as an option for a complete carbohydrate.
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
