The Facts About Local Produce

๐๐ค๐๐๐ก, ๐จ๐๐๐จ๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐๐ง๐ช๐๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ก๐๐จ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ค๐ค๐ ๐ค๐ฅ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ, ๐๐ช๐ฉ ๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐จ ๐ค๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐ช๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐๐ค๐๐๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค๐ค.
Local and seasonal produce, at farm stands or supermarkets, may be more flavorful and support the local economy, but itโs not necessarily more nutritious.
Throughout the summer and fall, farm stands display locally-grown fruits and vegetables, and supermarkets offer fresh seasonal produce, along with organic, conventional, imported, and frozen selections. Understanding the variables associated with these options may make deciding what to buy a little easier.
Keeping it Close to Home? Locally grown, seasonal produce, whether sold at farm stands, farmers markets, or the local grocer, can be an attractive option. Buying local cuts down on the environmental impact of transportation, and may put money into the local economy, but it does not necessarily impact nutrition. Fruits and vegetables are often picked before they reach peak ripenessโwhile they are firmer and less likely to be damaged or rot during shipping. Since it doesnโt have to travel far, locally-grown, seasonal produce is often allowed to ripen more fully, which is a big plus for both quality and flavor. Ripeness can impact nutritional value as well, but this doesnโt mean local produce is necessarily more nutritious. โMany factors influence nutrient content, including seed variety, soil, and elevation,โ says Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, director and senior scientist at Tuftsโ Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory, and executive editor of Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter. โFruits and vegetables can lose nutrients as they sit in transit or on display, particularly if not refrigerated, such as on a farm-stand table.โ
Farm stands are not the only place to find local, seasonal options. โMany supermarkets carry local produce, and there are plenty of seasonal choices,โ says Lichtenstein. โProduce in supermarkets is temperature controlled, and usually fresh because turnover rates are managed. Seasonal produce at supermarkets is also generally quite affordable.โ
๐ข๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐:ย Itโs important to understand that not all local food is organic, nor is all organic food local. Some people seek out organic products to avoid potential health and environmental effects of agricultural chemicals, but organics do not have a proven nutritional edge over conventional produce. Organic products are, as a general rule, more expensive than conventional, a factor to consider when making grocery-purchasing decisions. โPeople who eat more fruits and vegetables have better health outcomes, regardless of whether they choose organic or conventional,โ says Lichtenstein.
๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ:ย Local produce bought directly from the farmer, or even from a supermarket, is not always an option. โFrozen produce is an excellent choice because todayโs flash freezing technology is used to freeze fruits and vegetables that are picked at peak ripeness,โ says Lichtenstein. โNutrient content is preserved in freezing, and nutrient loss is slowed.โ While fresh produce can spoil within just a few days, leading to wasted food and wasted money, frozen food can keep for months while maintaining nutritional quality and, importantly, flavor. Canned and dried fruits and vegetables are also generally good choices, but compare Nutrition Facts labels to choose brands with the least sodium and added sugars.
๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐!
Donโt let the number of choices make produce purchasing confusing. Follow these tips to up consumption of these health-promoting foods:
-๐๐ฎ๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐โฆ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ.ย Local and imported, fresh and frozen, organic and conventional are all good choices.
-๐จ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ต ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ป๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ถ๐น๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ.ย Delicate foods like berries and greens will spoil more quickly. Produce with harder skin, such as carrots, cabbage, and apples, are more durable and last longer at home. Planning can help minimize food waste.
-๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐น.ย Produce ripens more quickly when left at room temperature, but, once ripe, getting most types into a refrigerator (or freezer) can help preserve nutrients. A recent study published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology focusing on blueberries found that phytochemical content could be largely preserved by low temperature storage (in a refrigerator or freezer). Some produce, however, such as tomatoes and bananas, are better left at room temperature, according to the Produce for Better Health Foundation.
-๐ฅ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ (๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐) ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด.ย All produce should be rinsed with clean water before use to reduce risk of foodborne disease and remove pesticide residue. Hard produce can be scrubbed with a brush. Soap and special washes are not recommended. The only exception is pre-washed, bagged, greens, which the CDC recommends not be washed at home.
-๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐ฎ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐น.ย Having a bowl of fruit visible encourages more fruit intake, but can also lead to waste if the fruit spoils. Try having just a couple pieces of each type of fruit out at any one time (depending on your household size). This can help avoid over-ripening and food waste.
-๐๐ผ๐ปโ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ป.ย Pre-packaged frozen vegetables and fruits are at least as nutritious as fresh, and often less expensive, and they are available year-round.
Source:ย Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, Oct. 2018
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