In the animal kingdom, there are carnivores who eat only meat, herbivores who eat only plants and omnivores who eat both. Then there are locavores—people interested in eating seasonal, locally grown food.
The locavore movement is strong here in San Antonio, and for good reason. The warm climate allows farmers to grow many types of healthy food in San Antonio all year round. Learn what are the benefits of becoming a locavore and the benefits of joining the locavore movement as well as what locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables you can expect to enjoy in the upcoming fall months.
Health benefits of eating locavore
While there isn’t one set definition for what “local” food is, one commonly agreed upon explanation is that this term describes food grown within 100 miles of where you buy it. Michigan State University listed some benefits of eating food that doesn’t have to travel far from farm to table:
- More flavor: Because it doesn’t have long to wait between being harvested and being eaten, local produce can be picked at the peak of ripeness without going bad in transit, giving the food more flavor.
- More nutrients: The longer fruits and vegetables have to wait to be sold after harvest, the more their nutrients fade away. You can purchase local produce within 24 hours of being picked so the food is rich in nutritional value.
- Local economic benefits: Eating locally grown food isn’t just a selfish venture to enjoy greater taste and more nutrients; it’s also a great way to help local farmers. What’s more, your purchase is reinvested in other businesses within the community to keep the area’s economy strong.
- Environmental benefits: If everyone bought locally, think about the greenhouse gases that could be prevented from entering the atmosphere. When you buy out-of-season produce, it must travel thousands of miles, which gives a single piece of fruit a huge carbon footprint. Locally grown food also helps maintain Texas farmland and green spaces.
- Safer food supply: The more steps there are between harvesting and eating a piece of fruit, the more chances there are for contamination. Distantly grown food faces potential safety issues every step of the way, from harvesting and washing to shipping and distribution.
- More communication between farmers and consumers: When you buy from farmer’s markets, you can speak directly with farmers. Feel free to ask how they raise and harvest their crops. When you know where your food comes from and how it’s grown, you remain informed so you can make the best choices for your family.
Locally grown organic food in San Antonio
While Texas is very big—much larger than 100 miles across—if you find fruits and vegetables grown within the state, you can become much more of a locavore than you were before. Plenty of delicious produce is grown in Texas all year round, thanks to the warm climate. Look for the following locally grown items to show up on grocery store shelves during the fall harvest:
- Beets
- Cantaloupes
- Cauliflower
- Grapefruit
- Greens
- Honeydew
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Oranges
- Pecans
- Pumpkins
- Spinach
Use this Texas Produce Availability Chart to learn what time of year to buy certain fruits and vegetables. There are also great food delivery services, such as Truckin’ Tomato or Bountiful Baskets, which deliver fresh local produce straight to your door. Their vegetable bundle includes only in-season, locally harvested produce so that you always know you are eating the best produce of the season.
Eating healthy food in San Antonio is a great start down the road to weight loss. For more ways to help you look and feel great, please contact BMI of Texas.