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| Fall into the Farmer’s Market |
Fall into the Farmer’s Market
With
summer coming to an end and school schedules resuming, I find myself
falling back into more structured meal planning. Like many families, our
summertime dinners are often simply grilled meats and vegetables paired
with salads, fresh fruit and whole grain breads. But as the weather
turns cooler, our dinner time choices also begin to change. What doesn’t change is one of our “Do M.O.R.E. with Dinner”
goals: getting plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains in our
diets. Fortunately, the farmer’s market continues well into autumn and
is the perfect place to shop for seasonal produce and baked goods to
inspire your family dinners.
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| Fall into the Farmer’s Market |
One of the reasons we love farmer’s markets so much is this: Foods in
season taste better and are less expensive. How do you know what’s in
season? Check out this handy resource to find out (but here’s a hint: what’s in season will be what’s available at the farmer’s market).
Some popular late summer and fall produce picks:
| Late Summer | Fall |
| Melons Beets Cabbage | Apples Pumpkins Potatoes |
Fresh produce and whole grain breads are a tasty way to get many important nutrients including fiber. Fiber is one of the four “nutrients of concern” because low intakes are associated with health concerns. Although the recommended daily intake of fiber is 25-34 grams, most Americans only consume 15 grams a day.
And even though I’m a dietitian, I still find it challenging to meet my
fiber needs and helping my children meet theirs, too. One of the ways
we meet this challenge head on is by trying to include fruits and/or
vegetables at every meal and snack, and making sure that at least half
of our grain choices are whole grains.
While all fruits and vegetables provide important nutrients, some have more fiber than others. Here’s a list of fruits and vegetables
that are a good source of fiber (at least 2.5 grams) or high in fiber
(5 grams or more). When it comes to baked goods at the farmer’s market,
you probably won’t have a “nutrition facts panel” to review, so be sure
to look for ingredients such as whole oats, whole-wheat flour, whole-grain corn, whole-grain brown rice, and whole rye.
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned from my “Do M.O.R.E. with Dinner” initiative
is spending just a few minutes a week planning ahead saves me so much
time (and money and stress) later on. So, I really encourage you to do
some meal planning before you go to the farmer’s market to help guide
your purchases, choose higher fiber foods, and cut down on food waste.
Here are my top tips to get you started:
- Involve your kids in the planning and shopping. Try one new item each time you visit the farmer’s market. Buy what you need based on the meals you plan to prepare at home.
- Remember, fresh baked goods, fruits and vegetables don’t last forever, so only purchase what you can use in the week ahead, or share the extras with a friend or neighbor.
- While fresh produce is great, you can also include frozen, canned, and dried produce in your meal plan, too. You’ll still get important nutrients, like fiber, with less food waste. Stocking your kitchen with frozen, canned, and dried produce also means you will have these on hand for times to add to your meals and snacks. This can be a great opportunity to make sure they are available when your family is making choices about what they will eat and drink.
For more tips on making the most of your trip to the farmer’s market, check out my video.
The many health benefits of fiber
are well known including digestive and heart health, weight management,
blood glucose control and boosting immunity. Make it a point to visit
your farmer’s market this fall and stock up on delicious, nutrient-rich,
seasonal produce and whole grains, and enjoy the tasty health benefits.
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