Have you caught onto the latest nutrition trend? Buying local food.
Sustainability in nutrition is a very quickly growing area of research and the more one looks into the global food system, the more one realises just how far our food travels before it gets to our plates. Buying local food.
The concerns with sustainability are broad and complex and I’m not going to go into them, mostly (if I’m honest) because I don’t fully understand the whole picture.
However, when it comes to food miles (how far a food stuff has travelled between the farmer and you) you start to realise how inefficient the system is and wonder how long it can go on like this.
It’s this concern that I believe has birthed the newest trend of buying local and the rise of the farmer’s market.
It baffles me that the concept of sourcing your food from local farmers is a trend, because once you think about it, it makes sense to eat food thats been grown locally and thats suited to the climate and environment in which you live. But alas, this is the world in which we live. Fast paced, connected on a global level like never before and therefore you can be eating a fish caught 10,000km away, 3 months after it was caught, coated in a batter made from ingredients originating in 3 or 4 different countries. It’s amazing really, when you think about it.
As a nutritionist, the idea of buying local food is one that sits very nicely with my food philosophy. Good nutrition is the result of good overall diet quality and a quality diet consists primarily of whole, fresh, minimally processed foods. Foods you’d buy straight from your farmer, unprocessed!
The other great thing about buying your food locally is that you begin to eat seasonally. Eating seasonally has many advantages: Food can be eaten fresh, tastes it’s best and contains a maximum amount of nutrition, particularly in terms of vitamins. Fruit and vegetables (the cornerstone of a healthy diet) start losing their nutrition as soon as they are picked or harvested. Eating seasonally also encourages nutritional variety throughout the year because the available foods change over the weeks and months.
It’s a really great idea to challenge yourself to cook and try a new fruit or vegetables each season as the produce changes. You might be surprised at how vast your food repertoire becomes. Seriously, there could be a local foodie inside you just dying to get out!
I reckon there’s something very satisfying about getting away from the normal crazy pace of our current lives, putting on our comfy weekend clothes, grabbing our enviro bags and heading off to the local farmers market. You get to chat with the people that actually grow your food. How cool is that? Many of the farmers will have ideas on what to do with the produce, how to cook it and how to best store it once you get home.
Finally, buying locally is great for our farmers and local economy. A community that supports its members is a great community indeed. Whether you do it out of the goodness of your heart or you’d want to ‘stick it to the giant supermarket man’ why not head to your local market this weekend.
There are a number of great ways that you can buy both Australian produce and more local produce in Canberra. They are:
Vegies to Your Door – They deliver market fresh fruit and vegetables straight to your door. Perfect if your weekends are taken up with your kid’s sport or exra-curricular hobbies! All you have to do is jump on their website, order a seasonal box and maybe some yoghurt and milk (I recommend you do!) and you’re done. Delivery the next day!
They make a point of only supplying Australian grown produce and don’t sell imported fruit or vegetables at all. They’ve also combined forces with a number of local, family owned, Canberra business to make the local shopping experience very simple and easy indeed. You don’t even have to leave the house!
The Southside Farmer’s Market – On every weekend. There is a great range of produce available including fruit and vegetables, fish and seafood directly from the south coast, organic beef from near Bungendore, olive oils from Yass and Griffith, chickpeas and borlotti beans from Griffith, garlic from Moruya, eggs from Grenfell, mushrooms from the South Coast, dairy from Picton, breads and bakery treats from Canberra bakers, chicken, duck and goat meat, and much more.
Capital Region Farmer’s Market – On every weekend. The Market provides an opportunity for Canberra and regional consumers to sample the region’s produce. It is a community project run by the not-for-profit Rotary Club of Hall, the only rural Rotary Club in the ACT.
They welcome apples from Batlow, specialty meats from Grenfell, vegetables from Leeton, berries from Borenore, salads and olives from Hall, vegetables from Moruya, Picton and Leeton, mushrooms from Yass Valley, spuds, fruits, cheese, meats, nuts, breads, pasta, cordials, oranges, coffee, chocolates, cakes, honey and more.
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