MoneyMindedMoms: Eat Smart… Become a “Locavore!

When busy moms take time out from our chaotic schedules to prepare fabulous home cooked meals we all, undoubtedly, want to make the very best of our efforts. Not only does it need to taste great, but cost and nutrition are also essential factors.

Whether you’re an omnivore or an herbivore, consider becoming a “locavore!” This simply means buying more locally-grown and produced foods. The fact of the matter is that our food often travels an average of 1500 miles before it even reaches our plate. The fresh produce is usually covered in pesticides to help it endure the trip, and since produce begins to lose its nutrients as soon as it’s harvested, fresher is indeed better. Actually, produce that travels from other parts of the country (or world, for that matter) is often harvested before it’s ripe, so it never even reaches its capacity for vitamins and minerals… so you aren’t really getting what you paid for. Local foods are also often organic and free of harmful pesticides and will cost less because they don’t come with the added expense of transportation.

While you’re shopping local, you can also rest assured that you won’t feel the need to overbuy (and overspend!) just because it happens to be in stock at the grocery store. Your resource will be located in your very own neighborhood and you can take advantage of the harvest of the season. When you become a locavore, you get the most nutritious of fresh produce and foods, you spend less and you support your local economy.

To find a local farmer’s market, check out Local Harvest and search by your zip code.

Locavores help everyone win… families, finances and farmers!

Doreen Kukral is creator of MomGoesGreen.com, a popular weblog that offers a glimpse into her family’s journey to "going green". With her contributions to Money Minded Moms she hopes to inspire others by sharing realistic ideas and information necessary to make wise choices where family health, wellness and environmental conservation are concerned and dispel the myth that going green is a costly commitment.
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