Daily diet: Fresh is best

Islamabad, October 19  (Newswire): Last week the news was littered with what you should and should not eat.

That tasty bacon and ham contain salt, nitrates and preservatives, which can lead to heart disease and diabetes. Canned food—like many plastic water and baby bottles—contain the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), which has been banned in many places.

And then there is the salmonella outbreak found in three brands of alfalfa sprouts, all packaged by the same company. Not a good week to be shopping.

In a perfect world, we would raise our own food. Chickens running free in the backyard yielding beautiful speckled eggs with creamy yellow yolks, corn stalks towering over the carrot tops and lettuce rows.

Reality is much different however, with apartments and condos meaning no available yard, work schedules and children’s activities meaning limited amounts of time at home, and then there are those who have no desire to get dirt under their nails. It’s a shame, really, because not only is homegrown food better for you, it is satisfying that the food you serve is the food you grew yourself, much like your ancestors did.

The next best thing is to find a farmer’s market, farm stand, CSA, or greengrocer that you can trust for your fruit, vegetables, and herbs (and sometimes even eggs and freshly butchered meat products). You will know if it is organic or not, whether it comes from 4 miles, 4 states, or 4 countries away. There is a likelihood that these vendors have produce that has been picked at the height of its ripeness, instead of a week before to allow for transport.

You can also try out the new TakeHome service from The FruitGuys. FruitGuys is a green and sustainability-focused company that delivers farm-fresh, organic and conventional produce across the country. Originally started as a fruit delivery service to offices, FruitGuys has expanded to home delivery with three options: fruit & veggie, fruit only, and veggie only.

You can set up a weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or one-time delivery. TakeHome offers a convenient way to get regional, organic produce, while also supporting small regional farmers.

Try and get out of the canned and frozen food rut. Take the kids out to the Saturday farmer’s market and let them sample some of the great produce and make choices they are willing to eat. Or take a chance and sign up for a CSA box. You’ll be challenged to try new things, seek out new recipes and you just might find a few new foods to love