Today I stopped by a local farm to grab a few pieces of produce, and found myself unable to stop shopping. Local farmers markets are so fun because the selection is always somewhat different depending on what is in season or how much they happen to have available that particular day.

I grabbed some of the juiciest peaches I have ever had, some tomatoes (which Is all I really went there for), kale and green leaf lettuce. It is some of the softest juiciest freshest food I have ever had. The conversation with the owner is always so pleasant and I always leave feeling so good for supporting a local farmer just trying to get by, whilst feeding the community with delicious live, good quality, organic foods. It’s a win win everyone can feel good about.

Why is it so important to shop locally, and organic? I will tell you..

Non- organic foods are genetically modified and laden with pesticides. The pesticides that are meant to keep the bugs off the fruits and vegetables they are sprayed on are capable of wreaking havoc on the beautiful healthy cells in your body in turn creating an environment for disease to flourish.

Modern agricultural practices are destructive to the environment through widespread use of herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, and fertilizers and have resulted in drastic environmental damage in many parts of the world. Organic food contains higher levels of essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium, which are severely depleted in chemical foods. Pesticides are linked to diseases such as asthma and cancer.

Organic food tastes better! The lively energy from organic food can be tasted in each bite; you are truly nourishing each cell in your body when you are consuming organic foods.

Local food is much fresher than anything you will get in a grocery store.

Local foods are seasonal and there is a lot to be said about eating for the season/climate. Your body needs certain food during certain times of the year, nature is so kick-ass awesome it just knows, trust it!

Eating locally grown foods reduces your carbon footprint, reducing the chemical load on your one and only mother earth and food with less distance to travel from farm to table is less prone to harmful contamination.

Money spent with local farmers stays close to home, helping to build your local economy instead of being handed over to a corporation in another city or more likely another country.

So do yourself, your community and your environment a huge favour and start shopping locally, you won’t regret it.

With the big delicious organic tomatoes I got at the farm today I made quinoa stuffed tomatoes for lunch, they were unbelievably delicious, Vegan & gluten free!  Check out the recipe:

Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients:

3-4 large tomatoes

1 cup dry quinoa

1 can black beans

1 red onion diced

½ cup chopped mushrooms

1 cup kale chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp Himalayan or sea salt

Directions:

In a sauce pan bring 2 cups of water or vegetable stock to a boil, add quinoa reduce heat and cover, stir once or twice until all water is absorbed and quinoa is tender, you will know it is cooked when you see the little white rings around the quinoa.

Meanwhile in a frying pan sauté onions and garlic in 2-3 tbsp of water until onions become almost clear, add mushrooms and kale until slightly wilted  and then add the black beans. Add to the cooked quinoa and add salt and pepper to taste.

Core the tomatoes using a knife and a spoon to remove most of the insides. I left most of the juice inside for extra flavor.

Spoon the quinoa mixture into the tomatoes, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, serve and Enjoy!

I put mine on the barbeque for a few minutes to warm and soften the tomatoes and it was amazing, you could do this in the oven as well.

Remember to take a few deep breaths before eating, be thankful for your food, chew thoroughly and avoid drinking liquids within a 20 minute range before and after meals to support good digestion.

Love, light & local foods

JaNine <3Image

For more great tips and inspirations from our in-house nutritionist Janine visit her blog below!

http://thevitalvegannutrition.wordpress.com/2013/08/09/feel-fabulous-fridays-eat-local-organic/

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