Eating healthy is a huge part of living a healthy lifestyle and one of the best ways to eat healthy is by eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Like most major cities, New Orleans has a farmers market – The Crescent City Farmers Market, brought to you by Market Umbrella, which rolls into town every Tuesdays in Downtown, New Orleans and Thursdays in Uptown, New Orleans.

The Crescent City Farmers Market brings to the citizens of the Big Easy fresh produces, fish, seafood and a variety of other foods which are from LOCAL vendors.  Buying local has tremendous benefits on the local economy but also on your taste buds and greater health.

1. Locally grown food tastes better.

Food grown in your own community was probably picked within the past day or two. It’s crisp, sweet and loaded with flavor. Produce flown or trucked in from California, Florida, Chile or Holland is, quite understandably, much older. Several studies have shown that the average distance food travels from farm to plate is 1,500 miles. In a week-long (or more) delay from harvest to dinner table, sugars turn to starches, plant cells shrink, and produce loses its vitality.

2. Local produce is better for you.

A recent study showed that fresh produce loses nutrients quickly. Food that is frozen or canned soon after harvest is actually more nutritious than some “fresh” produce that has been on the truck or supermarket shelf for a week. Locally grown food, purchased soon after harvest, retains its nutrients.

3. Local food preserves genetic diversity.

In the modern industrial agricultural system, varieties are chosen for their ability to ripen simultaneously and withstand harvesting equipment; for a tough skin that can survive packing and shipping; and for an ability to have a long shelf life in the store. Only a handful of hybrid varieties of each fruit and vegetable meet those rigorous demands, so there is little genetic diversity in the plants grown. Local farms, in contrast, grow a huge number of varieties to provide a long season of harvest, an array of eye-catching colors, and the best flavors. Many varieties are heirlooms, passed down from generation to generation, because they taste good. These old varieties contain genetic material from hundreds or even thousands of years of human selection; they may someday provide the genes needed to create varieties that will thrive in a changing climate.

4. Local food is GMO-free.

Although biotechnology companies have been trying to commercialize genetically modified fruits and vegetables, they are currently licensing them only to large factory-style farms. Local farmers don’t have access to genetically modified seed, and most of them wouldn’t use it even if they could. A June 2001 survey by ABC News showed that 93% of Americans want labels on genetically modified food – most so that they can avoid it. If you are opposed to eating bioengineered food, you can rest assured that locally grown produce was bred the old-fashioned way, as nature intended.

Source: Growing for Market

Make it a point in the New Year to check-out the Crescent City Farmers Market and perhaps create some new habits and traditions with your family.  Do check-out their websites The Crescent City Farmers Market, and Market Umbrella as both of the sites are full of great information. Don’t miss out on the recipe of the week…they are easy to follow recipes designed according to what’s available at the market!

I’m sure I’ll be blogging more about the Crescent City Farmers Market again soon but in the meanwhile, check out this video to learn more.