3 Ways to Become a “Locavore”

Wikipedia defines a “locavore” as someone who eats food grown or produced locally or within a certain radius such as 100 or 200 miles. Not only is this the natural way to eat to be in balance with your surrounding environment, eating local lessens our dependence on fossil fuels. Your food isn’t traveling far distances to get on your plate making it the freshest it can be.

Try these 3 tips on how to become a Locavore.

1. Visit a Farmer’s Market

Does your city have a Farmer’s Market? This is the best place to get organic, seasonal, local produce that is grown near your home. Usually the produce being sold was just picked that morning and it has been allowed to reach it’s peak ripeness. This makes it fresher and tastier than the supermarket produce.

2. Ask Your Supermarket to Carry Local

If your local grocery store doesn’t carry local produce, then ask them to start. You can usually find the origin of the fruit or vegetable on the label. If you are eating animal foods ask them where the meat, dairy, and seafood are coming from. It’s important that your animal products be organic, free-range, hormone-free, and local if possible. Also, packaged food will tell you where it is made and distributed. So you can go as far as only eating packaged foods that are produced and distributed in your state. That is being Super Green!

3. Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)

If you join a CSA, then you don’t have to worry if your produce is local. A CSA allows you to invest in a local farm in exchange for a box of produce each week and saves you time shopping for groceries in the process! You can go to LocalHarvest.org to find a CSA near you.

Here’s a delicious recipe for a soup that can be served warm in the winter or cool in the spring/summer.

Love Your Heart Beet Soup

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 red beets, peeled and chopped

Pinch of sea salt

6 cups filtered water

1 cup red lentils, washed and drained

3 bay leaves

Juice of 1 lemon

1 Tablespoon umeboshi vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)

Sea salt to taste

Directions;

1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium flame. Add carrots and beets with a pinch of sea salt and sauté for 5 minutes.
2. Add water, lentils, bay leaves, and salt. Bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer, partially covered for 25-30 minutes.
3. Remove bay leaves. Puree in small batches in a blender and return to pot. Or use an immersion blender.
4. Stir in vinegar, lemon, and sea salt to season.

Serve warm or cold garnished with a dollop of soy sour cream and chopped dill.