Here is my meal.
I had a squash, purple potatoes, chicken and cucumbers. All purchased at the farmers market or at whole foods from a local chicken farm.
Shopping at the farmers market has made the food part of this pretty easy.
The struggle I have is finding toppings that are local. So, all my FOOD is local, but not the toppings. The butter for the potatoes, the vinegar for the cucumbers. The Indian spices WERE local when I got them IN India.
When I need to replace these things I would like to look for more local spices and other things I use as toppings. I eat very little dairy so making my own butter isn't an option. Wonder if I can make butter out of goats milk?
The wonderful thing is that I have eaten meals that were almost all local just because I have the food around, or have left overs. I really have enjoyed looking at my plate and seeing that at almost every meal I'm eating SOMETHING local. I have loved my food and feel good about it. Buying at the farmers market has been cheaper for most things. Also, I get food I don't find at the grocery store so I'm adding to my variety of veggies as well.
I also purchased some hand lotion that was made locally too that is really nice. It had all natural ingredients like honey, beeswax, Shea Butter, jojoba oil. The beeswax is from the makers farm that is in Duluth. BONUS.
What I learned was the kind of obvious fact that, as you start getting local food in the house, becoming a little more aware of local food, it makes it easier to just integrate it into more than just that one meal.
My goal for next week?
Let's go for two meals that are fully local.
Now that I've noticed that I've been integrating more local food in other meals. I will keep track of how many meals I am including local food in when I eat at home.
I haven't been all that creative with my goal, I guess, but it's working and making a positive difference.
