Eating locally is one of the biggest food trends of the past few years. The benefits of eating seasonally and locally grown produce are so strong that today there are hundreds of restaurant founded on the concept of eating locally. So why is it better to eat local food? Check out the top reasons right now!
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1. Fresh and nutritious food
One of the most obvious benefits of locally sourced food is that the food spends very little time from being produced to making it to your dinner table. In some cases, you can buy produce that was picked up or manufactured today or yesterday.
As a result, you get to enjoy fresh food 100% of the time. Plus, since the food doesn’t need to be transported for long distances, it is able to preserve most of its nutrients. It means that while eating the same amount of food you do normally, you are able to get more essential vitamins and nutrients.
2. Seasonal products
Everywhere in the world, food is subjected to season. There are nearly no fruits and vegetables that can grow all year round. And while it is possible to buy even the most exotic produce at any time of the year, there is a good chance that it will be either bland or artificially ripened. Neither of those things is good for your health and your taste buds!
3. Good for your budget
One of the biggest benefits of buying locally made products is the fact that it usually costs less to purchase local foods. Since they don’t need to be transported from abroad and are grown in your own region, they are far less expensive to produce. Therefore, when you buy most of your products locally, you don’t need to pay for those extra transportation and storage costs. That way you can eat great AND lower your good budget!
4. Good for the environment
When talking about local food vs imported food, it’s impossible to ignore the environmental aspect of shipping food products from other regions or countries. Some foods will travel for thousands of kilometers before they end up in your local market or grocery store, and most of these kilometers will be done by trucks.
The carbon footprint, which is currently one of the biggest threats to the environment, is the direct result of relying on cars too much. With personal transportation, the solution is to either use public transport or switch to electric cars and bikes. With food, the only way to limit the carbon footprint is to buy more locally grown foods.
5. Good for the economy
So how does buying local food help the economy? When you buy food that was grown and produced by local farmers and small entrepreneurs, you know for a fact that your money goes into their pockets. By paying taxes, these entrepreneurs will give back to the local community.
When you’re buying food produced overseas, you give money to people who will use it to further the development of their own communities instead of promoting positive change in your region. And while the economic benefits of local food are not the biggest reason to change the way you buy produce, it’s definitely at least something to consider!
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