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Ways to eat healthy and shop seasonal produce locally

Posted at 12:35 PM, Oct 02, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-09 16:38:45-04

Eating healthy is something all of us can do, but figuring out the best ways to do it can take some time.

Emmalee Boyland from SelectHealth joined Fox 13's The Place to talk about healthy eating and seasonal produce.

"Most of us have good intentions when we buy fruits and veggies, but we throw them in a produce drawer in our fridge and forget them. One tip that helps me is to wash them as soon as I get home, then set them out in a bowl on the kitchen counter. Or I`ll wash an apple and leave it on my desk. That way, when I get the urge for a snack, a healthy choice is right there in front of me," says Boyland.

SelectHealth sponsors the Downtown Farmers Market, and they`ll be at the market for the last day on Saturday, October 5th.

They'll be doing free health screenings, so come get your blood pressure checked and buy some healthy vegetables to cook up for a nice fall dinner.

"When you buy seasonal produce, it`s been harvested recently. That means it should be fresh and tasty! It also likely means it didn`t have to travel from far away, so you`re choosing to protect the environment and you might pay less at the cash register. There are tons of great fruits and veggies in season right now, such as apples, cabbage, plums, potatoes, pumpkins, and squash," says Boyland.

Here's a list of fall dishes you can whip up using fresh produce from the farmers market:

  • Warm up with a squash soup on a chilly day
  • Try spaghetti squash in place of pasta in your favorite dish
  • Get into fall with pumpkin; in pancakes, smoothies, or overnight oats

For more ideas on how to eat healthily and use local produce, go to selecthealth.org.