Following the USDA food recommendations can be daunting and frustrating at times. As we all know, what’s considered healthy today may not be so healthy tomorrow as the current recommendations try to keep up with the latest scientific research.
One area that the USDA and most other health and nutrition experts now agree on is the need to switch to a more plant based diet. How much should be plant based? Three quarters of your plate should be plant based (fruits, vegetables and grains) with one half to two thirds of your plate, vegetables and fruits, as colorful as a double rainbow on that rare SoCal rainy day. Hence the term “Eat from the rainbow.”
And no, not Skittles!
The rainbow I’m referring to contains the glorious reds, yellows, oranges, purples, blues and greens of Mother Nature. Peaches, plums, tomatoes, sweet peppers, herbs, berries, melon, squash, beets, kale, carrots, chard and other greens…oh, the list is endless to make your plate look like an artist’s palate. Each one of these plant colors contains specific vitamins, minerals, micronutrients and antioxidants that support good health. When we eat a wide variety of plant life we ensure a wide variety of health benefits.
Plus, eating a more plant based diet is better for the planet, as it requires less natural resources to support growth and less toxic runoff into the ground and water systems. What’s good for the planet is always good for us.
While local supermarkets contain an endless variety of produce to choose from as they outsource products from around the world, I highly recommend shopping at your local farmers market to supply most of your fruit and vegetable needs. Buying from local farmers markets supports the local economy, guarantees fresher and picked ripe produce that have a longer shelf life, gets you outside and connects you with your neighbors. While you may not have as large a variety as found at the mega-market, you’ll be eating seasonally which is more in accordance with nature’s rhythm.
For those of us in the Larchmont neighborhood we have a gem of a market every Sunday morning in the heart of the shopping district on Larchmont Boulevard. Small and concise, you can find all of the fruits and vegetables you’ll need for a week’s worth of healthy snacks and meals. It’s open year round, officially from10-2, though many of the vendors will sell to you while they are setting up and give you a special deal while breaking down their tables for the day.
For those of you not in the Larchmont neighborhood, there are farmers markets all over Los Angeles, everyday.
So go local and support your local farmers markets for a rainbow of delectable nutrition and health.
Great Deborah, that the Buzz is focusing, at least in one article on healthy eating…in detail. I’ve been going to the Larchmont Sunday market for years and they have a mix of quality, but more than enough options for the discerning shopper. Two of my highest recs are for Dry Dock Fish and Underwood Farms. Dry Dock has a lot of markets, Susan and her husband handle ours and a couple of others. The salmon is caught fresh, packed in dry ice, shipped here to we get it never frozen less than 48 hours from the ocean...and no, I don’t have a connection with any stands. DD prices are less than Whole Foods and Erewohn, both which sell previously frozen salmon.
Underwood Farms is organic, and certifiably so. They grow all their own produce, bring it from the valley, and sell it fresh. There are stands that buy produce from food exchanges and some cannot provide proof it is organic, if that matters to the buyer. it does to me.
Cheers..and Buzz, keep the healthy notes going. Kinda gets boring if it’s always about politicians, real estate for sale and robberies.