The Farmers Market

I grew up in New England where summer is fast and fleeting and so is local seasonable produce.  During the summer months, my father planted an extensive vegetable garden which included blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchinis, melons, eggplants and lettuce. Each day we would venture out into the garden and see what was ready to pick and then we would eat a meal designed around that fruit or vegetable.  It was fun and educational experience that instilled a love of vegetables and healthy eating.

One of the easiest ways to encourage children to eat is to include them in shopping trips. Let them chose an item that they want and they most certainly will eat it. The children often accompany on my shopping trips but I have come to loathe the grocery store.  I resent that the unhealthiest of foods are marketed to children, I am then either forced to endure screaming or give in so I can purchase the eggs and milk.  A tip often given for shopping, is to shop the perimeter of the store so you stick with vegetables, dairy and meats. Well the marketing geniuses have caught on to this tip, and I can now find Cheetos in the dairy section and Fruit Loops near my tomatoes.  Children love bright colors and sweet food, it is visually appealing and tastes good. I don't blame them for wanting a box with brightly colored pictures and marshmallows, but at the same time I really don't want my kids ingesting a boatload of sugar and chemicals.

In a conscious effort to avoid the junk, we have started shopping at our local farmers market.  Since we live in California we are lucky to get a variety of local produce year round. These are pictures from our trip yesterday.  Instead of processed foods, my children got to enjoy samples of fresh blood oranges, pink lady apples and grapefruit. They were allowed to pick out their special items, my daughter picked out very fat green asparagus and my son chose blood oranges. When the only options are healthy it puts you back in control while still allowing the children freedom to choose. 

In the next few days, I'll post some tips for shopping at the farmers market and recipes.  Do you shop at the farmers market? If not, what is stopping you?