5 Health Benefits of Buying Your Food Locally

There are many reasons to buy food locally, ranging from better-tasting meals to learning about agricultural cycles to supporting local farmers. But the best benefit of eating local produce is increased nutritional support for your body and brain.

It turns out that eating local foods is better than going organic at the grocery store. Here are five reasons why.

1. Following Seasonal Rhythms

When you shop at local farmers markets, you follow seasonal rhythms of growing and harvesting different fruits and vegetables. It’s convenient to walk into a grocery store and find everything you want, and it might be hard for you to imagine life being different. However, studies have shown that foods cultivated out of season don’t compare nutritionally to those grown in season. Take this study on bananas, for example.

Before the days of worldwide travel and supermarkets, people only ate foods currently growing where they lived. The food available varied by geographic area, but it gave locals the nutrients they needed to thrive in each season.

You can shop seasonally at your grocery store by using an online seasonal food guide. Or, you can go one step further and find a local farmers market where everything is seasonally grown.

2. Increasing Your Nutritional Levels

Farmers who sell produce to grocery stores pick their food before it’s fully ripe and then let it ripen on the way to the store. However, many foods begin to lose nutritional value after they’re picked. The last stages of ripening under the sun increase the nutritional value of foods and improve their taste.

If you’ve ever grown a garden, you’ve probably noticed a difference between your tomatoes and the ones at the store. Homegrown tomatoes that grow on the vine taste like sunshine and summer itself – and their nutritional content follows suit. Buying locally grown produce will consistently improve both the taste and nutritional quality of your meals.

Letting food ripen naturally isn’t convenient, and it doesn’t work for selling mass amounts of food at the same time. However, eating sun-ripened foods is a lot better for your body!

3. Strengthening Your Immune System

Another benefit of eating local produce is its increased antioxidant content. Antioxidants have many health benefits – they fight free radicals and lower your risk for heart disease and cancer. They also contribute to better brain health, which in turn affects the rest of your body.

Antioxidants are present in many different foods, including fruits and vegetables. Research suggests, however, that antioxidant levels may be higher in organically grown foods.

You can find organic options at your grocery store, or talk to vendors at the farmers market to learn which of their foods are grown organically.

4. Accessing Local Honey

In addition to fresh fruits and vegetables, you can often find local honey at a farmers market. Honey is a healthier alternative to processed sugar and carries antibacterial and antifungal properties. Raw honey is also an excellent source of phytonutrients, which work as antioxidants in the body. Some research suggests honey can even help as a cough suppressant.

Raw honey has several health benefits, but you should be careful when consuming it. Some honey is processed with higher standards than others. Talk to the farmer selling it to hear more about their process and how they keep their honey clean. Raw honey may contain low amounts of botulism spores, so you should never give it to an infant under 1 year old.

5. Reducing Chemical Exposure

Going to the farmers market is the perfect solution if you’re concerned about pesticides on your produce. Some farmers use organic methods and some don’t – the best way to know what’s on and in your food is to ask. However, you’re more likely to find pesticide-free foods at a farmers market than at the grocery store.

Of course, you should still always follow food safety principles, regardless of where you shop for groceries. Pesticides aren’t the only contaminants that can affect your food. Always wash fruits and vegetables before eating them, even if they come from a local market.

Enjoy Local Food

Choosing to eat high-quality food doesn’t have to be a lot of work. Go to a local farmers market to find fresh foods with great nutrients and a low chemical profile. Your body and brain will thank you as they reap the benefits of your healthy choices, and your taste buds will learn to enjoy the rich, natural flavours of fruits and vegetables. You may even find that going to the farmers market is your favourite part of the week!

*This is a collaborative post