Eating locally grown, seasonal produce is the way to go when it comes to supporting our health and losing weight.
Being in Connecticut, I absolutely love summer because I can buy local produce at my farmers' market that is so much fresher, healthier and frankly, downright delicious. It's one of those things that in the summer i just naturally lose weight. It's part what I'm eating, part exercise and partly my mindset. I just feel lighter and happier with longer days and warmer temperatures. But I'm also more motivated to prepare simple, healthy dishes that aren't loaded with calories.
Which is why eating locally grown produce (as opposed to produce shipped from halfway around the world) is so good for us:
- Locally grown food, even if it's not organic, is almost always grown without pesticides
- When food is just picked, it contains the optimal nutritional value. As fruit and veggies sit on store shelves, they lose important vitamins and minerals
- Local produce has more flavor, is more inviting and is much more fun to prepare and eat. Going to the farmers' market is total inspiration for me. I see what looks fresh and decide what to make when I see the options.
- Eating produce is low in calories and supports our weight loss, yet doesn't require being in the kitchen for hours. In fact, you can check out this post I wrote on my blog about fresh collard greens I recently bought at the farmers' market and a super simple recipe to prepare them
Do you buy fresh, seasonal produce? If so, does it inspire you to eat more healthfully and support your weight loss? I'd love to know your thoughts.
