In the great State of Michigan, we are blessed with an abundance of fresh and tasty produce, especially during the summer. Take advantage of this time of year to help your family discover and love healthy foods and incorporate them into your diet to encourage healthy family eating habits.
Now is the time of year when your grocer’s fruit and vegetable offerings are the freshest and most locally sourced. Even if you don’t venture beyond your neighborhood Kroger, you will find a greater variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Go to a Farmer’s Market
If you have the time, consider taking the family to any of the great farmer’s markets in our area. Taking the family to a farmer’s market has many benefits: great exercise and socialization, ability to meet some of the people who grow the food, learn about how they grow it, sometimes sample products before purchase, and give family members an opportunity to see and select fruits and vegetables they might enjoy. Here’s a comprehensive list of all the farmer’s markets in our area, courtesy of Metro Parent. Eastern Market boasts an amazing array of fresh produce, meats, cheeses, and other gourmet items. The Saturday Farmer’s Market in downtown Farmington was recently judged number one in the area.
Stock up on Michigan cherries
Not only are cherries one of the most delicious fruits of all-time, but they are loaded with health benefits. Many of them (especially tart cherries) come from the State of Michigan. And as outlined in this great article from the Cleveland Clinic, cherries are a super food! The fresh cherry season is short. Even more reason for you to grab as many as you can now and freeze some for the fall and winter. For safety and expediency, get a cherry pitter, which helps you to extricate the pits more easily, an essential step before freezing.
Add color to your diet
The fruits and vegetables with the highest nutritional value are also the most colorful: broccoli, spinach, brussels sprouts, etc. Fruits and veggies get their intense colors from phytochemicals, which also produce the richest vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Eating more of these types of fruits and vegetables every day is the best way to help your body perform its best, relieve inflammation, and promote overall good health.
Ask for the “no thank you bite”
Do you live with a picky eater? If so, a trip to the farmer’s market is probably not on their list of favorite things to do. That’s OK. But eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is a cornerstone of good health. Pick some “high value” veggies like spinach, offer them up in different ways, and ask that picky eater to at least give it a try. And if it doesn’t work the first time, keep trying!