Every weekend I try my best to make it to my local Farmers Market for a variety of reasons! The produce is FRESH! Usually, the produce that you are buying at your farmers market is picked ripe and sold within a couple of days from a farm within 50 miles away compared to produce you might find at your local supermarket which can be traveling from 1,000 miles away.
When produce is this fresh, it translates to having more nutritious value for your body. I also tend to find a lot of better deals at the farmers market vs. some supermarkets. The produce is sold in season and usually they have a lot of the product therefore they can sell it to consumers for a great price.
I also get to create relationships with the farmers themselves while shopping at the market, which makes it such an amazing environment and really puts value into everything you buy.
I also tend to leave the farmers market with something new that I have never tried before. It’s great buying in season because there are so many different vegetables and fruits out there besides your typical broccoli, blueberries and spinach which still makes it into my basket every week!
I wanted to share my favorite farmers market finds, that I encourage you to look for at your local market:
- Cheese! I tend to find some of the best cheeses at my local farmers market. I notice a big difference in the fresh mozzarella I find at a market vs. a grocery store. Mmmm pass the wine and cheese!
- Grass Fed Meats: I only buy my meat at my farmers market because I know the quality is spot on. I’ve gotten to know the farmers and learn about their farms and how the animals actually live which is awesome. There are no hormones in the meat and I know the animals are able to eat their natural diets vs. being fed grains.
- Flowers: I love finding different and unique flowers that are full of life and I know are not full of pesticides. I tend to always buy fresh eucalyptus to hang in my shower and wild flowers for my kitchen counter.
- Bread: Whenever I buy bread at the market, its always a hit because of how fresh it is! Also, I tend to find my favorite organic breads that are literally made with less than 5 ingredients. Pass the butter!
- Something Sweet! Theres a few different goodies I may pick up depending on availability. Some of my favorites include vegan sweets like donuts or fresh croissants or chocolate protein balls. Each market has different vendors so I encourage you to really scope it out because you can find some delicious gems!
Find the nearest Farmers Market by you:
https://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/
In Health,
Dr. Nicole Lean Lyons, ND
