Food for Thought
Food for Thought contains articles on various nutrition
topics written by KAND dietitians.
Local foods, are they better for
you?
By Wendy Markham
When you think about nutrition, you most often think
about what nutrients are in the food. What vitamins does it have, fat,
calories, and the favorite, calories? What is not often considered is
where the food is from. In our global market, we are able to buy foods imported
from all over the world. In some ways, this gives us an edge on nutrition by
providing many options to suit all tastes. You no longer have to settle for
oranges or strawberries to get vitamin C. Now, you can run to the supermarket
and purchase exotic fruits from far away countries to get the same vitamin C
but with a different flavor. Food is also more accessible. Now, you can run to
the local super store and buy your produce in the same location as where you
purchase hardware, clothes, and even have your car worked on. Time and travel
reduce vital nutrients.
While all these options are pleasing to the palate,
there are some downsides to the global food market. Food travels an average of
1500-2500 miles from farm to table. Fruits and vegetables shipped from distant
states and countries can spend up to seven to fourteen days in transit before
they arrive in the market. Most fruit and vegetables sold in supermarkets are
chosen for the ability to withstand harvesting equipment and extended travel,
not taste. This results in very little variety in plants grown.
Does distance make a difference in nutrition? The answer
is yes. Spinach stored at room temperature loses between 50 and 90 percent of
its vitamin C within 24 hours of being picked and spoils after five days. Time
and exposure to light destroys folic acid, a vital nutrient in many green leafy
vegetables. Vitamin C, the B vitamins and vitamin E are all important
antioxidants that protect against disease, because they attack free radicals
which cause oxidative stress and damage our cells leading to cancer and heart
disease. These vitamins are particularly sensitive to time. These vitamins are
often not in fruit and vegetables that are picked green – they are picked green
so they will survive.
• Local
food is fresh and tastes good. Food grown in your own community was probably
picked within the past day or two. It is usually full of flavor and has not
lost nutrients due to processing and shipping.
• Local
food supports local farm families. Local farmers who sell directly to consumers
or to local stores, markets, or institutions can get better prices for their
food, which means that farm families can keep their farm operating.
• Local
food builds a strong community. When you buy directly from the farmer, you are
establishing a direct connection between with those responsible for growing the
food you are eating.
• Local
food helps preserve farmland. Farmland will survive only as long as farms make money.
When you buy locally grown food, you are doing something to help preserve the
land needed to help our community have access to food.
• Local
food supports a clean environment. The average distance most food travels is up
to 1400 miles. This burns up a great deal of gas and creates pollution.
Food that is grown and sold locally travels a much shorter distance.
Click here for more information on Knoxville area
farmer’s markets.
