That's Fit

First there was the whole foods diet. Then there was the low-carb craze. Then eating organic was all the rage. And I'm sure you've heard of cage-free, free range and grass fed. Now there's eating locally. Well, eating locally isn't exactly a new concept--after all, farmer's markets have existed probably as long as farms, but it finally seems to be catching on as a dieting trend.

So what exactly does it mean to eat locally, and what are the benefits? I mean, we've all seen farmer's markets, perused their offerings and even occasionally indulged in some of their maple syrup candy and apple cider but what does eating locally really translate to?

"Local" is defined as anything within a hundred miles. That makes for a lot of possibilities in terms of food options, depending on where you live.

To me, farmer's markets were always the opportunity to get a little something different than what you'd find at a local supermarket. I know the one in Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn used to house a woman we referred to as the Cheese Lady who always had THE BEST cheeses anywhere. She had this one spicy white cheddar with horseradish in it that was TO DIE FOR. Sadly, at some point she took her wares elsewhere.

Either she wasn't getting enough business in our borough or she was tired of the cheese business. My guess is it was ultimately too expensive a venture for her, as is the case with many farmers who throw in the towel.

While the cheese lady offered more exotic choices, farmer's markets these days offer all the usual suspects, and at prices that are lower than ever. I recall visiting a farmer's market a few years ago where the organic red peppers, grown either in or under water (or something like that) were nearly $7. Yes, $7. Clearly there was no market for those as they ceased to be offered. Now you can get peppers of every color and variety without such a high price tag.

But what does "eating locally" tangibly translate into? Buying from local growers means supporting your local community by putting money into the hands of your neighbors. It means lower costs for food that doesn't have to be shipped by plane, train or automobile, which means less money spent on gas. It means taking care of the environment by not wasting gas or emitting toxins into the air through tailpipes.

It also means fresher produce. Think about it--wouldn't you rather eat something that was plucked off a tree when it was appropriately ripe and that hasn't been sitting in traffic forever? Often times produce is picked WAY before it's ripe in order to be ripe by the time it arrives to its final destination. The result: food that's not so tasty.

Case in point: My father in law likes to tell a story about a man he once met to whom he gave some peaches, fresh picked from my FIL's land. The man ended up throwing them out because he thought they were bad--they were soft, the way a peach is supposed to be, and he'd only had the hard (unripe) kind.

Eating locally also means eating more healthfully. Sure there are some killer pies sold at these farmer's markets, along with fudge and the previously mentioned maple candy, but they're all homemade and made with real, whole ingredients--nothing you can't say or spell. You know, stuff like apples, cream and honey. Yum. It's hard to find anything considered "bad" for you at these markets. After all, they're about things that come from the earth.

For more information on why you should eat locally, click here. I will add, though, the main reason I enjoy shopping at local farmer's markets. It's FUN. I like to see what other people in other parts of the country are offering and eating. And then I like to eat it.