Reprinted from the Health District's quarterly publication mailed to district residents (Fall 2008)

When it comes to shopping for food, one simple principle could be the key to better health: buy local.

Buying and consuming locally grown food makes sense — for both our own health and the health of the local economy and environment.

“By supporting our local farms, we’re also preserving our farming heritage,” says Dianne Moeller, Health District registered dietitian who teaches classes throughout the year highlighting both healthy cooking techniques and sources for highly nutritious ingredients. Her September “Farm to Table” class focused on these topics, and her October and November classes will follow suit.

The place to start when looking for quality food, Moeller says, is our local farmers’ markets. “They pick the produce in the morning, and you buy it the same day,” Moeller says. Even if it comes from the Western Slope, it’s fresher than what often shows up in supermarkets.

That freshness is a big reason Moeller is such a fan of cooking with locally grown foods — from beets to greens, from squash to corn, from apples to cherries.

“When you get produce that’s just picked, there is a world of difference in the flavor,” she says. There is literally a world of difference in taste and nutritional value of local produce compared to that shipped from South America or New Zealand. Fruits and vegetables imported from faraway lands are too often grown for durability and appearance rather than nutrients and taste.

“I’m convinced that the main reason people don’t like fruits and vegetables is because they’ve never had good, fresh, vine- or tree-ripened food picked at the peak of its perfection,” Moeller says. Great produce should delight the senses through its aroma, texture and color as well as actual taste, she adds.

Moeller also emphasizes the natural seasonality of foods. “If you buy it at the farmers’ market, you know it’s seasonal and fresh,” she says.

By buying local, Moeller says, consumers help themselves achieve a more nutritious diet while at the same time feeding money back into the local economy and helping preserve the farming tradition of our area. Side benefits include preserving a healthier environment through use of fewer pesticides and herbicides, along with varied crop systems that are better for wildlife.

“You can ask the farmers what type of farming practices they use, and the majority use healthy organic methods,” Moeller says — whether or not they’re officially certified organic farms.

So don’t forget: buy local — it’s good for your health.