Thinking about trying a "locavore" diet....does anyone do this?

[freemotion]

I am not going comment on most of this thread under the spirit if you can't say something nice, say nothing. But does "locavore"really have anything to do with 'junk food'?

Does Whole Foods carry any whole foods outside of the very expensive produce department? Sorry, ranting. I still haven't recovered from seeing soybean oil in the ingredient list on a hunk of goat's milk cheese in that store.

 

[Wifezilla]

I hear rumor that have lots of over priced meat as well. Hardly any whole foods in the dairy section. Definitely not much real food on the dry good shelf and hardly any in the freezer section!

 

[tinkarooni]

I am not going comment on most of this thread under the spirit if you can't say something nice, say nothing. But does "locavore"really have anything to do with 'junk food'?

Actually my posts clarify that I am considering how to do several things including encouraging healthy diets and increase some environmental awareness with my kids. I also am considering local because of the increased control over your foods. I have a friend who considers her families diet very healthy however she cooks with canned fruit from a. fairly well known chain that is made in China. I am reasonably certain that if I grown the items myself or purchase from neighboring farms that the veggies I will than can, contain only veggies.

So I would agree with you that being locavore does not mean healthy, I think that going locavore helps in some ways know what you are really putting into your mouth.

 

[calendula]

I think if you were going to switch to eating locally, you would be hard-pressed to find much junk food. I mean, sugar, corn syrup, refined flours. How much of that is grown and made in your area? By switching to eating local foods, wouldn't you be eliminating a lot of junk?

 

[tinkarooni]

I think if you were going to switch to eating locally, you would be hard-pressed to find much junk food. I mean, sugar, corn syrup, refined flours. How much of that is grown and made in your area? By switching to eating local foods, wouldn't you be eliminating a lot of junk?

Yes, I would agree with this as well, although we do have a very nice local chocolate company nearby....although that can be healthy can't it?

 

[me&thegals]

You can end up eating a lot of junk locally just like you can doing all your shopping at a Whole Foods. The danger is thinking you are eating healthy when you are not.

How? I have no Fritos factories around here, no HFCS plants... So, how is locavore not necessarily healthy? Unless you live in sugar country, fast food country or areas where there are massive factories for junk food, locavore means seriously healthy by me.

We eat pretty local most of the time. Milk and wheat from a relative's farm, most meat from our own, almost all veggies and most fruit from our own land. Local maple syrup and honey. Our own eggs.

Definitely not local for a lot of spices/seasonings, vegetable oils, chocolate, coffee, tea, sugar, pasta, some bread, cheese (actually not sure where it's from, could be WI) and any junk foods we buy for treats.

Good luck! Through our business (CSA), economic necessity and our own interest in it--plus the food tasting WAY better when fresh--we have become probably around 85% local in our diet. In summertime, it's higher. In winter, we do buy fruit and some veggies from the U.S., occasional fish.

Our kids are excellent eaters, but they love junk food way too much also. I wish they would ONLY like the good stuff, but I can be glad they like it at all--quiche with nettle/dock/spinach, all-time favorite potato-kale soup, fruit smoothies, they really love it all.

Plus, they love chips, soda and candy. They get kind of sneaky about taking more candy than they should when at other people's houses. But, I still don't want to be offering candy at home just so it becomes less desirable. The more junk they eat, the more they seem to want. They were superb eaters until they started school. Once exposed to constant snacks, junk food and chocolate milk, they have learned to like that also.

We let them take hot lunch once per week, and after years of that they are starting to turn their noses up on some of it--yay!

 

[calendula]

I think if you were going to switch to eating locally, you would be hard-pressed to find much junk food. I mean, sugar, corn syrup, refined flours. How much of that is grown and made in your area? By switching to eating local foods, wouldn't you be eliminating a lot of junk?

Yes, I would agree with this as well, although we do have a very nice local chocolate company nearby....although that can be healthy can't it?

I think having a chocolate company nearby would be reason enough for me to become a lcoavore.

 

[me&thegals]

Oh, yeah! Plus, dark chocolate is absolutely a health food Especially with nuts and dried fruit tucked in.

 

[Wifezilla]

I mean, sugar, corn syrup, refined flours. How much of that is grown and made in your area? By switching to eating local foods, wouldn't you be eliminating a lot of junk?

Honey? Maple Syrup? Tortillas? Bean prepared without the proper soaking and fermenting? Skim milk? Popcorn?

Of course my definition of junk food and the general public's definition are two entirely different things.

 

[calendula]

Honey? Maple Syrup? Tortillas? Bean prepared without the proper soaking and fermenting? Skim milk? Popcorn?

Of course my definition of junk food and the general public's definition are two entirely different things.

I agree you wont be able to get away from things that are bad for you completely and entirely. There's not much of anything in life that is totally safe and healthy. But with a diet of local foods, you are cutting out a lot of junkfood. I guess I consider junkfood to be processed foods, foods containing genetically modified crops, foods that may have been sprayed w/ pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc..., having little nutritional value.