I just love Honey Crisp apples. Unfortunately, their deliciousness comes with a pretty big price tag. The other day I was checking out at the grocery store and I had a bag full of Honey Crisps. The cashier and I were lamenting over how costly they were. I mentioned that I had heard that apple growers in our state had planted some Honey Crisp trees, so hopefully the cost would go down when those trees were mature and bearing fruit. Then we looked at the label. Fortunately for the environment, but unfortunately for my wallet, the apples in question were from my state. And they were just as expensive as ever. Even though I was disappointed in the price, I was glad to see that my favorite fall treat is now locally grown.

Being able to see where food comes from is important for many reasons. Environmentally speaking, the fewer miles the food has to travel to arrive on your grocery store shelves, the better. Local food also helps to ensure freshness and it supports the local economy. Health-wise, knowing what country your food is from can help you avoid foods that are potentially exposed to unsanitary conditions and/or harmful chemicals.

The new law, which requires country of origin labeling as of September 30, is a bit confusing, however. Certain foods, such as roasted peanuts and bacon, don't have to be labeled. Any food that can be considered processed is exempt from the law.

[via FitSugar]

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You can benefit your health while doing the environment a favor. What a win/win situation!

Recent data from the UN shows what many of us already knew -- meat production emits significant greenhouse gases. In fact, meat production emits more greenhouse gases than transportation. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that it counts for about 18% of greenhouse emissions.

So take a tip from the UN Climate Chief and serve up more vegetarian meals. To further reduce your impact on the environment, purchase only locally-grown produce. AOL Food has a wide variety of vegetarian recipes to choose from. Enjoy!

[via GreenDaily]

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One of my favorite things about visiting the farmers' market is seeing the changes in the products they offer as the growing season progresses. Where I live, local peaches are starting to show up. I'm so glad, because in addition to enjoying plenty of fresh peaches, I'm going to slice and freeze quite a few. They're just delicious when they're still partially frozen. I also love grilling peaches and then sprinkling them with some cinnamon and serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. (I know, I know... the ice cream is bad. But it's oh so good!)

Self Magazine posted some new healthy recipes for products you might find in the farmers' market now. Their recipe for roasted plums and greek yogurt sounds delicious. Perhaps it will be a healthier substitution for my grilled peaches and ice cream.

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I love going to the farmers' market once or twice a week. It's always fun to see what's in season and to try out new items. But sometimes, I have to admit, that I'm a bit perplexed. When I saw some cute patty-pan squash I was tempted, but I had no idea what to do with them.

Food Network has a great tool that breaks fruits and vegetables down by their growing season and then links to recipes. Not all of the recipes are exactly healthy, but there are plenty of choices that health-conscious people can choose from. Some of the recipes that some yummy to me include:

• Summer squash soup with basil
• Mixed salad with blackberry vinaigrette
• Roasted fresh figs with gorgonzola

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THE USDA Food and Nutrition Service administers a program where low-income seniors can receive coupons for shopping at participating farmers' markets. Currently, there are nearly 3,000 markets that participate in the program.
Fruits, vegetables, and herbs are among the foods that are covered by the coupons. State agencies can impose restrictions where the coupons are only good on foods that are produced locally. Certain foods -- such as dried fruits, potted plants, and honey -- are not covered by the coupons.

Personally, I think this program is a great idea. While the traditional food stamps are still available for low-income citizens, they don't cover farmers' markets. Giving people greater access to fresh, locally-grown foods is not only good for their health, it's good for the local economy and for the environment.

The USDA also has a farmers' market program for WIC (Women, Infants and Children).

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At the farmer's market today, I was able to buy three huge bunches of basil for three dollars... total. Food prices may be going up, but at the farm market, in-season means easy on the pocket book. After digging through my pantry for a few other staples, I had all the necessary ingredients for pesto. Not only is pesto a favorite summer treat, it freezes well, which means healthy, local meals for winter. And because it's essentially a raw dish (you'll need to cook the pasta or bread that you put it on), it's perfect treat for when the kitchen is just too hot to cook.

Pesto's base ingredients are basil, olive oil, walnuts, and garlic, which means that it's loaded with antioxidants and heart-healthy omega-3s. (Pesto lovers learn early that a little goes a long way. Not only is pesto quite oily, it also has a very strong taste.) But creative cooks need not stop there -- pesto is very forgiving and does well with substitutions.

If you think pesto might have a place on your menu, now is the time to try it. Here are four great ways to enjoy pesto this summer:

Fresh basil pesto

Low-fat pesto

Non-basil pestos

Sun-dried tomato pesto

Not too long ago my son and I were grocery shopping. He pointed to a particular treat that he wanted to try, but instead of asking for it he said "That looks really good, but it creates too much container waste." I had to chuckle a bit. His statement either means I'm doing a good job of teaching him environmental responsibility or I'm a little over the top about it all.

Our nutrition habits are one area where we can reduce our impact on the environment. Healthcastle.com recently posted about five changes you can make for a lower carbon diet:

• Buy local. Visit your local farmer's market, but be sure to ask where the produce is from. (I know at the farmer's market near me there is at least one booth that ships produce in from around the country.)
• Go seasonal. Buying off-season means your produce was either shipped from a faraway locale or it was grown in a hot house.
  
• Avoid high carbon foods. Even if they're produced locally, meat and dairy are high carbon foods. Reduce your intact by minimizing portion sizes and serving vegetarian meals more often.
• Use fewer packaged foods. Not only are packaged foods big waste creators, they often have additives and artificial ingredients that aren't nutritionally beneficial.
  
• Bring home leftovers. If you've got leftovers at a restaurant, don't leave them behind -- it creates unnecessary waste and is a waste of money, too.

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Summer is the season for locavores, consumers who consciously commit to eating foods produced closer to home. Beyond lessening their carbon footprint by paying attention to the origin of foods, they also enjoy fresher fare and support local farmers. 'Locavore' was even named the 2007 Word of the Year by the New Oxford American Dictionary!

Some locavores stick within a narrow 100-mile radius -- inspired by a Vancouver couple who wrote a book on their year-long 100-mile diet -- while others widen the net and eat regional foods or keep it simple and choose a handful of available foods to consistently purchase locally. I guess you could say there are no strict rules when it comes to being a locavore.

If that's the case, how about wearing a locavore hat for a meal or two this month? Head to your local farmer's market and buy ingredients for a locally-grown meal. Maybe a spring mix salad with veggies, sweet potatoes and slices of melon? You can also patronize a restaurant featuring locally-sourced meals, a new trend as chefs head to farmer's markets to purchase local foods to feature on the menu. Finally, don't miss the many tips and articles from writers nationwide over at the Eat Local Challenge blog -- it's a terrific, educational site.

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In many parts of the country, my own included, growing season is in full swing. That means you may be too late to take part in a CSA this year. But if you get a chance to take part in one, this year or next, I highly recommend it.

This was the first year that we joined a CSA -- short for community supported agriculture. We did it for a lot of reasons, but mostly because of concern over food safety issues. What we have discovered, however, is that it's completely changed our eating habits for the better.

Each week, we get a crate full of fresh grown goodies. Sometimes, I have to use Google to identify something or learn how to cook it. But just having that food in my fridge forces me to be creative and either search for or come up with new, healthy dishes. We're eating far fewer processed foods, less salt, less fat, and have all but cut our meat consumption. Our former favorite dish? Homemade pizza with extra cheese. Our current favorite dish? Sauteed kale with garlic scapes and onion, served over brown rice. I'm totally not kidding.

Seven years ago, I found myself unemployed for a while. I tried to trim costs wherever I could -- disconnecting my cable TV, terminating my cell phone service, and doing everything I could to lower my grocery bill. When you're trying to cut costs that $0.79 box of mac n' cheese starts to look awfully good. Unfortunately, my low cost grocery shopping had a price I didn't want to pay -- I gained weight and plenty of it.

With today's grocery costs, everyone has to think of their budget when shopping whether you're in a temporary financial hardship like I was, or at the top of your financial game. Luckily, you can stay within your budget and still feed your family a nutritious meal. Some tips:

• Eat locally and in season. When you visit farmer's markets, you cut out the middle man and cut out some of the cost.
  
• Get a green thumb. Planting your own garden is by far the most cost effective method for fresh produce -- plus you'll get the added perk of physical activity.

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Marcie at Feeding Blackmail recently wrote about her family picking seasonal strawberries. Joanne at Eat Local Challenge urges you to help the honeybees by signing up to help with The Great Sunflower Project. If you're looking for some fabulous recipes and good looking food, check out Eat Locally, Write Globally. And finally, Epicurious has a very helpful tool, a peak-season map that can help you find out what's in season where you live.

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A research team at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is pinpointing obesity as a key cause of global warming. Their argument is that it costs more in fuel to transport heavier people. Also, obese people require more food to sustain themselves.

The World Health Organization predicts that by 2015, more than 700 million people worldwide will be obese. The London-based research team feels this overweight trend will have a hefty impact on the environment as well as health.

The researchers found that people who are obese consume nearly 18% more food than their thinner counterparts. This can impact the environment by creating a higher food supply demand and by causing more food travel miles. Also, the researchers state that thin people are more likely to walk than rely on cars for travel. What do you think?

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