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I've been doing a lot better eating healthy in recent months. But, now late fall and winter is upon me, and I live in Springfield, Illinois - seemingly the last place on the produce distribution chain, supermarkets often have not-so-great produce - nothing like supermarkets in California or Arizona (I was always surprised by the good produce in AZ markets when I went to visit my parents). I mean, you can go on the right day and find okay stuff, but nothing spectacular, and this time of year it gets worse And, farmer's market season is over. We have no Trader Joes or Whole Foods (though both are in St. Louis 1.5 hours away) or any sort of place that's any better than a regular supermarket.
So, for you people who like to eat fresh and healthy, what are some of your winter standbys. If you live, like I do, sort of far from the veggie production centers and far from the sea, what do you buy and where do you buy it during these coming "down" months?
lots of citrus. This is the time of year that they are in season down here in south texas. I'm sure you will find them shipped up there.
I've been doing a lot better eating healthy in recent months. But, now late fall and winter is upon me, and I live in Springfield, Illinois - seemingly the last place on the produce distribution chain, supermarkets often have not-so-great produce - nothing like supermarkets in California or Arizona (I was always surprised by the good produce in AZ markets when I went to visit my parents). I mean, you can go on the right day and find okay stuff, but nothing spectacular, and this time of year it gets worse And, farmer's market season is over. We have no Trader Joes or Whole Foods (though both are in St. Louis 1.5 hours away) or any sort of place that's any better than a regular supermarket.
So, for you people who like to eat fresh and healthy, what are some of your winter standbys. If you live, like I do, sort of far from the veggie production centers and far from the sea, what do you buy and where do you buy it during these coming "down" months?
Frozen fruit and veggies are actually healthier than fresh. They are usually picked at ripeness and frozen quickly, which freezes in the nutrients at that point, whereas fruit & veggies picked for market is usu. picked before ripe, since it has to be shipped and then sit in stores for a while. They lose their nutrients the longer they sit around.
Frozen fruits & veggies are available year 'round. They can be obtained at Sam's Club & discount groceries at reasonable prices, since they come in huge bags. My favorite frozen fruits are MIXED BERRIES (pricey, but chocked full of vitamins!), pineapple, mango, mixed melons. I usu. get a huge bag of mixed Asian or stir fry veggies (yum....water chestnut, snap beans, little corns, etc.).
There are winter veggies, of course, like butternut squash, but I don't care for most of 'em. Eggplant?
Canned or fresh pumpkin. Look on the can. If it says the ingredients consist only of 100% pumpkin, there you go. Low calorie, full of nutrients, no chemicals.
Various lettuces are available year 'round. I love salads.
Fresh apples are available well into the fall. One of my favorite fruits.
A person is able to eat healthy year 'round shopping in regular and discount grocery stores, as well as member stores like Sam's Club.
One of the more unique things about living in Arizona is that fresh produce of good quality is hard to find in July- September, a period where most of the country has loads of it. We are only now starting to see the trickle of Mexican produce coming north.
However, the situation in the rest of the country is no longer that dire. With produce sourced throughout the world, you can get MOST items for a good portion of the year if you are willing to pay a slightly higher price.
We've never found that to be the case. Tons of great produce of all variety flows in from CA and/or AZ all year for us in the valley/the Phoenix metro. Stores like Sprouts here keeps us happy. We are mostly whole plant based eaters so we eat a bunch of it.
Glad the rest of the country is getting better. I have a friend in the Northeast who eats mostly organic produce and says the choice in the winter is pretty bad quality wise in the winter months but maybe because it's organic/that's hard to find of good quality in the winter, not sure.
Frozen fruit and veggies are actually healthier than fresh. They are usually picked at ripeness and frozen quickly, which freezes in the nutrients at that point, whereas fruit & veggies picked for market is usu. picked before ripe, since it has to be shipped and then sit in stores for a while. They lose their nutrients the longer they sit around.
Frozen fruits & veggies are available year 'round. They can be obtained at Sam's Club & discount groceries at reasonable prices, since they come in huge bags. My favorite frozen fruits are MIXED BERRIES (pricey, but chocked full of vitamins!), pineapple, mango, mixed melons. I usu. get a huge bag of mixed Asian or stir fry veggies (yum....water chestnut, snap beans, little corns, etc.).
There are winter veggies, of course, like butternut squash, but I don't care for most of 'em. Eggplant?
Canned or fresh pumpkin. Look on the can. If it says the ingredients consist only of 100% pumpkin, there you go. Low calorie, full of nutrients, no chemicals.
Various lettuces are available year 'round. I love salads.
Fresh apples are available well into the fall. One of my favorite fruits.
A person is able to eat healthy year 'round shopping in regular and discount grocery stores, as well as member stores like Sam's Club.
I have heard this before: frozen is healthier but I still prefer my fresh, if nothing else for flavor.
I have heard this before: frozen is healthier but I still prefer my fresh, if nothing else for flavor.
I think for some things frozen is superior than fresh for most of the year. Berries are a great example!
The odds of me getting perfect fresh peas during the year are slim, frozen peas are great. Frozen corn is great too, especially when it is no longer peak season.
Cabbage? Absolutely! It's in tons of Oriental dishes, I make golumpki for the husband with it, it IS cole slaw - it's very versatile and very good!! (Except for in Corned Beef and Cabbage - that I can't eat. )
Quote:
Originally Posted by jlawrence01
One of the more unique things about living in Arizona is that fresh produce of good quality is hard to find in July- September, a period where most of the country has loads of it. We are only now starting to see the trickle of Mexican produce coming north.
-Snip-
Why is that, [jlawrence01[/b]? It would THINK that it would be the opposite, but I've never given it much thought. (Semi-deep thoughts and I just don't get along. )
Is it possible to work with a food co-op or maybe even the grocery store itself to get fresh veggies brought in? If a group got together to buy a case or two of assorted lettuce each week, maybe they'd put it in with their usual shipment. The local feed store brings in two bags of special feed for me and they don't mind since they've got a container coming in anyway.
Would it be possible to grow a few lettuces or herbs or something in a small glassed in window? Generally if a store doesn't have what I want, I'll try to figure out how to make it myself but I don't know how difficult it would be for you in your area.
Is it possible to work with a food co-op or maybe even the grocery store itself to get fresh veggies brought in? If a group got together to buy a case or two of assorted lettuce each week, maybe they'd put it in with their usual shipment. The local feed store brings in two bags of special feed for me and they don't mind since they've got a container coming in anyway.
Would it be possible to grow a few lettuces or herbs or something in a small glassed in window? Generally if a store doesn't have what I want, I'll try to figure out how to make it myself but I don't know how difficult it would be for you in your area.
It's possible but not that easy. I kept a rosemary plant alive one winter by enclosing it in a glass covering. It's the dryness in the house in winter that seems to kill the plants. I might try to keep a celery plant alive on a window sill this year but there is no way I can have fresh tomatoes or other vegetables growing in the house. There are little greenhouses that attach to your window but I'm not sure how good they are and whether or now they're well enough insulated to protect the plant and also to keep the winter cold out of the house.
Citrus fruit, root vegetables (cube sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, turnips, beets, carrots, leeks, onions, garlic cloves, etc. marinate with herbs and/or spices and olive oil in fridge overnight, roast until done to your liking), mushrooms, pears, squash (butternut squash soup is delicious). Other than that, frozen fruit and veggies. They are usually picked at peak ripeness and processed, so lots of retained vitamins and nutrients.
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