5 reasons to eat locally grown foods
1. Freshness and taste
Ever taken a bite of an apple fresh off the tree or had a juicy tomato picked from the garden? Did you notice how much better it tasted compared to most of the grocery store versions?
There are a number of reasons local produce often tastes better than produce that has been imported from another country or state. For example, local produce is usually:
- Picked at the peak of ripeness. Most imported food has so far to travel that itâs picked early and ripens on the journey. Unfortunately, this sacrifices a lot of the taste.
- Not sealed with wax. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), many fruits and vegetables that travel to faraway markets are sealed with wax. This is to maintain moisture, prevent mold growth and bruising, and to make the food more visually appealing. But this added waxy coating can affect taste and texture, and not in a good way.
- Less likely to be doused in chemicals. Chemicals are often used to preserve freshness or ripen food that has traveled from far away.
âKnowing where your food comes from, how it was grown, and whatâs in it will help you to avoid [chemical additives] as well as highly processed foods full of fats, salt, and sugar,â says Lilia Smelkova, former campaign manager at Food Day in Washington, DC.
2. Reduce your carbon footprint
Eating and growing local foods may help lower carbon emissions by reducing the distance that food has to travel.
The environmental impact of food transportation
- In the US, most food travels about 1,500 miles from the farm to your table.
- Food usually travels by air, truck, or train. This requires the use of fossil fuels such as oil and gas, and also causes carbon dioxide emissions.
- Food that travels far usually requires more packaging so that the food stays intact on its journey. The production of this packaging negatively affects the environment.
What do students say?
Close to two-thirds of students said that if they found out the food they were eating was imported and had a large carbon footprint, theyâd look for local alternatives (as long as the price was about the same), according to a recent CampusWell survey. Almost a quarter of the students surveyed said they would still look for a local option, even if they had to pay more.
3. Support your community
When you buy local goods, you invest in the economic and social vibrancy of your community.
Helping farmers helps you
Buying from local food markets allows farmers to sell produce directly to people, which may minimize the use of âmiddlemen,â such as giant food manufacturers. This helps support the farmers and their families so that they can continue providing you with high-quality, low-cost food.
Plus, when youâre face-to-face with a farmer, youâre able to ask how the food was grown, what chemicals were used in the process (if any), and even get ideas for how to prepare the food.
4. Get a nutrient boost
How well fruits and veggies retain their nutrients depends on many factors. But, generally speaking, they tend to lose nutrients over time, which is bad news for produce thatâs shipped from faraway destinations.
Since local food is picked at its peak of ripeness and eaten more quickly, it retains its nutrients better and tastes better too.
5. Eating fruits and veggies helps you look and feel better
Local foods may be fresher and less processed, and may retain more nutrients. Eating more fruits and vegetables in general is healthier for you and can help you look and feel better. For example, some studies suggest that a low-glycemic diet (eating foods containing carbohydrates that are processed slowly, such as green veggies and most fruits) may be helpful in reducing acne.
Want to up your happy? Up your fruit and vegetable intake. Students who ate fruits and vegetables felt happier until the following day, even after other influences had been ruled out, according to âMany Apples a Day Keep the Blues Awayâ (2013), a British study.