Local food: Six reasons you kid will love it

I've been working hard, networking with other healthy eaters, to bring you relevant content that will inspire your family's quest to energize your bodies with healthier food. The Reluctant Eater writes about the benefits of local, organic and whole foods. His goal is to raise awareness of healthy eating and promote a healthier relationship with food.

Here are his local food tips:

If you want to eat healthy and show your support for mother nature, you don't have to go far. Eat local! Sure, it can be a little bit more work, but your hard efforts will pay off. Here's how:

1. Farmers markets are more fun than supermarkets. Not only are the aisles more entertaining (interesting people, colorful foods & flowers, and friendly dogs!), but many markets have activities like puppet shows or singalongs. Ask your children for assistance: "Can you find me the best deal on carrots?" or "Can you find the melon that smells the sweetest?"
2. Less temptation from candy and other unhealthy foods. Most supermarkets have tons of candy and junk food that are easily recognized by kids, and you can only say no so many times. What will you find at farmers markets? None of that junk!
3. Cooking with local items is a challenge. Sound like a disadvantage?
Not so - children love solving puzzles. Instead of asking "what do you want for dinner?", tell them "I need help finding a good recipe with summer squash." Do a little educational research with them to find out what food is in season. Limiting your options can actually make for a more rewarding and engaging experience!
4. Local food tastes better! This is especially important when trying to convince children to eat vegetables. Food shipped across the country (or further) is designed to stay fresh - taste is an afterthought. Locally grown produce is remarkably tastier. What better way to instill good eating habits in your little ones?
5. Reduce your environmental footprint. Most kids have seen various "green" campaigns to help protect the earth. Connecting green living with food can make a big impact on greenhouse gas reduction. Although transportation costs contribute a significant amount, the largest greenhouse gas producer is storage & refrigeration. The food you buy at farmers markets (and supermarkets that support local growers) is often pulled from the ground that same morning, and hasn't been refrigerated.
6. Eating locally connects you with your food. Meet the growers face to face. Ask questions. Taste the samples! Plus, at certain times of year (Halloween especially) you can take the kids to local farms for a fun (and secretly educational) field trip.

KidAppeal's response.
Thanks Reluctant Eater. I didn't know that refrigeration and storage were bigger emissions producers than transportation. And it really is true about local food tasting better. I swung by my neighborhood health foods store, Sandy's Market, which has had a couple local vendors bringing in fresh produce since the summer. I snagged a bunch of Animal Farms locally grown fresh baby carrots. I got them for the boys lunch boxes. Only three survived today's lunch. I had to pry them out of their hands to ensure they'd see them again tomorrow at school. We did a taste test and Big Boo said the yellow ones are sweeter.

Not sure where to find a farmer's market near you? The Agriculture Marketing Service lists many farmer's markets nationwide. If you don't find what you're looking for there, Google your town's name and "farmer's market" to get a better list. Be careful of those in suburbs of larger cities. Some have little in the way of fresh produce and lots in the way of craft and preserved food vendors. If you've never been, call ahead and ask how many produce vendors they'll have on their next market day. It also depends on the season. Many are closed in late fall and winter depending on climate. Luckily in Houston we have a long growing season and many of ours are open almost year round.

Time to share. What dish or meal did you make inspired by a Farmer's Market purchase?

One more question.
Did you vote yet?
Pick your child's favorite meal on the vote in the right column, and come back Friday to see which meal wins. I'll have suggestions on how to make the losing meal more appealing.