Summer’s Here: Eat In-Season for Better Health

With the wide availability of grocery store produce, it’s easy to forget, or not even be aware of, which foods are in season. In fact, younger generations may not have enough grown up with a garden in their backyard. They may not have experienced the first summer asparagus that pop up or know the feeling of picking strawberries straight from the plant. Modern food processing and international distribution ensures that even in the winter months, fresh strawberries from Florida will be available in grocery stores nationwide.

Of course, it would be very difficult to eat only in-season foods. However, by focusing your eating foods that are grown in the particular season you are in, it is more likely that the foods will be fresh and contain a higher amount of nutrients.

Although it can vary depending on what part of the world you are in, here are some general guidelines to use for choosing in-season foods.

In spring, focus on:

• Leafy greens
• Swiss chard
• Spinach
• Parsley
• Basil

In summer, choose light options including:

• Strawberries
• Apples
• Pears
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Corn

In the fall, looks for fall harvest foods such as:

• Sweet potatoes
• Onions
• Garlic
• Carrots
• Squash
• Pumpkin

In winter, when many gardens are bare, choose easily-stored root vegetables including:

• Potatoes
• Onions
• Nuts

Local farmers markets or Community Supported Agriculture programs are the best sources for in-season, fresh foods. On average, a food product travels around 1,500 miles to reach your plate from the spot where it is harvested. Along the way, fuel is consumed and nutrients are lost. In addition, farmers have to pick the foods well before they are ripe, which is when they reach their peak nutrition and taste. In a country where raw, whole fruits and vegetables seem to be eaten sparingly, consuming them at their peak taste level could do wonders for upping fruit and vegetable consumption.

Love Your Baby…the Non-Toxic Way

Looking at what the conventional home is today, it is nearly impossible to make a non-toxic environment for yourself, let alone for your children. Many things are out of our control as consumers and as tenants of homes. But there are a handful of key elements that we can control in our children’s lives. Helping them live a non-toxic, organic and safe childhood in what is supposed to be the safest place for them—is our job as parents.

On of the first key elements into a non-toxic home for our children is to swap your cleaning products for eco-friendly versions. You can go out and research what the best sustainable cleaners are out there on the market, or you can make your own home cleaners. Mixtures that include vinegar, baking soda, grapefruit seed extract and eco-friendly soap are all great money saving and green ways of mastering the cleaning product dilemma. This is a huge element to overcome, and an even greater contribution to your child’s health. Also, try to line dry clothes and to use eco-baby-safe detergent.

Moving to the kitchen, you should look into your cupboards and drawers. Look at what you eat on, cook on, cut on and eat with. All of the items that you use in the kitchen should be examined and considered. Check into cast iron, glass, stainless steel, enamel coated cast iron, and lead-free ceramic.  Avoid non-stick surfaces and anything plastic. If you’re using plastic, even something that claims to be BPA-free or microwave-safe, do not ever put it in a microwave. Plastic seems to be a regular eating surface, this is very bad. Check out ceramic or stainless steel.

Another easy and simple change is to start (or continue to) drink tap water. Put on the filter that attaches to the spout if you need to. Get a water pitcher that filters out water. But plastic water bottles are so last year. But, seriously, drink the water from home.

It is incredibly important to just look at what you are bringing into the house. Things like wearing your shoes in the house can track pollutants onto the carpet that your babies are crawling around on and later sticking those fingers that picked them up into their mouths. It’s invisible, but very real. Check the dry cleaning you are bringing in—is it safe? And most importantly, when you come home, before you pick baby junior up make sure to wash your hands.

The most impactful yet complex is the food element. Bottom line—feed your children organic, sustainable, local food.  Check out your local CSA or farmers market and save some cash from the big green shopping stores if that is an issue. Remember what you teach your children: you are what you eat!

When your kids get sick, the first thing you turn to is over the counter, right? Wrong! The first thing you should look at is a natural cure/remedy. Teething, fevers, and stuffy noses will no doubt have you worried and tired yourself. But don’t give up and meander to your local supermarket unless you are buying ginger, garlic and grapefruit seed extract.  Great examples of home cures include steam for congestion.  Honey works well on the throat. Frozen celery can be used for teething purposes in lieu of plastic frozen toys. Dried fruit or stewed prunes are good for constipation. DIY fruit juice popsicles combat dehydration. Ginger and peppermint tea work for tummy aches.

Chuck the cosmetics! Can’t say it anymore plainly. The things that companies put into the lotion, powder, etc. that is recommended to put on your baby is just plain not safe. They’re loaded with synthetic hormone disruptors and potential carcinogens that pound for pound present more of a health concern for small people than for adults. If it is dry, or if there is an issue, put some organic olive oil on it. If you prefer a cosmetic, only use ones that are made with very few organically or biodynamically grown ingredients. You should be able to read the ingredient list and generally understand what it means. If you can’t, don’t put it on your baby. Look for trustworthy third party certification labels.

When using pest pollutants use organic and/or natural pest control like integrated pest management for lawns and inside for things like ants and roaches.

Any way you look at it—there are a million changes that we as parents can make to improve our children’s lives. The difference here is our babies don’t have a choice. So make it for them.

Think Globally Act Locally

Over the past couple years there has been a rising interest in supporting local farmers markets and some even take it one step further and grow their own products, arguing that the benefits on relying on locally grown foods are environmentally friendly and even taste better. The term “locavore” was coined by Jessica Prentice from San Francisco Bay area for the World Environment Day 2005 to promote the practice of eating a diet consisting of food harvested within the area of one’s location.

Because there was so much excitement and momentum driving the local food movement, the word “locavore” won word of the year in 2007 in the New Oxford American Dictionary. The notion behind the movement is to resist globalizing food by encouraging people to become aware of how far food travels, animal welfare, subsidies, lack of care for the environment which is all factors that are associated with nonlocal food corporations.

You might think that the locavore movement sounds like a typical food fad that will dissolve quickly and quietly, but I would argue that because the movement works to reduce the miles that it takes for food to reach your kitchen table (which is typically 1,500 miles) the movements popularity will hopefully catch like wildfire. The movement encourages people to support local vendors to generate money in the local economy which promotes a stronger sense of community.

Also, there is an undeniable increase interest in climate change, energy, agriculture, labor issues, food costs, food qualities which are all attractive qualities of the movement and act as an invitation for all Americans to join. Just like every social movement, even the smallest action that will benefit us socially, politically and economically.

When you think about it, much of our awareness of the food system is based on how much we don’t know. The motivating factor that ignites the locavore movement is ultimately to create better consumer choices and create a new self aware consumer and eater.

So what are you having for lunch?