I’m not going to lie, I’m impressed.
People today are becoming increasingly passionate about the food they eat and where it comes from. For example, check out this clip:
Well that may be a little bit of an exaggeration, but some of the questions being asked in this clip are actually topics that people care about. How was the chicken raised? How was the wheat grown? Is there genetic engineering involved? Is it organic? 100% Organic? Free range? Is it a heritage variety? Do you have a good relationship with the producers? Is it local, let me ask one more time, is it local?
Should you let these things concern you when making choices about what you eat? That is absolutely a personal decision but in my opinion, you should care about where you food comes from…just not so much that it interrupts your life or requires an informative folder from your waitress.
Here are my top reasons 3 why:
1. Knowing where your food comes from bridges the gap between farm to table. It seems this gap has grown extensively vast. Kids don’t even understand that cheese comes from cows anymore . Having this connection develops a healthy relationship with food allowing people to appreciate and respect that food is not indispensible. It allows for the understanding of how vegetables are grown, how cows are raised, or how whole wheat flour is produced and accentuates that eating shouldn’t be a fast mindless action but rather an experience which also nourishes the body. Improving the relationship people have with food can in turn improve the way people eat and their overall health.
2. You care about what you are putting into your body and your family’s bodies. Buying packaged and processed food means that you are buying a bunch of ‘extras’ that you may not want to be consuming. Take a look at an ingredients list. Shelf stable and processed foods typically translate into preservatives, dangerous trans fats, loads of sodium and sugars. On the other hand, fresh, made from scratch, whole foods most often times mean clean eating.
3. Eating local means a smaller carbon footprint. Eating locally means your food doesn’t have to travel as far to get to your plate. Less travel means less carbon emissions negatively impacting the environment. How big is the difference? Well, according to a study done at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, a local carrot has to travel only 27 miles while a conventionally sourced carrot has to travel 1,838 miles to get to your plate. Eating local also means money stays in your local economy and businesses in your neighborhood can thrive and offer products and services that fit your community’s needs and wants as opposed to a corporate agenda.
Why is knowing where your food comes from important to you? Answer in the comment section below!
Interested in more nutrition blogs by Melissa? Click below to check out more tips!
