Eating Locally

Eating local for better health…
By Jane Hayes – www.gardenjane.com

Eating fresh unprocessed food is one of the surest ways to health. Sounds easy enough, but food travels an average of 4500 km to the GTA. Along the way our veggies lose nutrients and vitamins. Luckily eating local is making a comeback. Here are a few ways you can catch the wave:

1.     Grow your own vegetable patch or container garden. Focus on leafy greens to produce lots of nutrient dense bites in a small space.

2.     Grow sprouts. Sprouts are easy to grow in your kitchen. They are an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of B vitamins, fibre, protein, and enzymes that aid digestion. Green leafy sprouts are a good source of vitamin A too. Join us at the Mind Body Clinic for a Sprouting Workshop on Wed June 18th, 7-9pm to learn the basics of sprouting a variety of seeds and ways to incorporate sprouts into your diet and lifestyle. $20-30 sliding scale (includes take home resources). Pre-register at 416-252-3665. The workshop will be at the clinic at 2921 Lakeshore Blvd at Islington.

3.     Read labels and buy local at your grocery store. Ask for local too so your grocer knows to get more local too. For most “local” means buying Ontario produce, but others aim to eat food that comes from 100 miles.

4.     Buy from a local farmer. This has many benefits, from keeping dollars in the local economy, to helping us connect to our food and eating better.

Some Farmers Markets to check out:

Birchcliff Farmers Market. St. Nicholas Church Garden, 1512 Kingston Rd (near the Scarborough Bluffs), 416-686-6528, Friday 3-7pm, June 13 to October 10th.

Distillery District Farmers Market, 55 Mill, at Trinity, 905-604-0718. Sundays 10 am-6 pm.

Don Valley Brick Works Farmers’ Market, off of the Bayview Extension (550 Bayview Ave)
Saturdays 8am-1pm, May 24 until Dec. 13th.  Free shuttle bus from Broadview Station. See website for details. evergreen.ca/rethinkspace/?p=148

Dufferin Grove Farmers’ Market (all organic). Open Thursdays year-round. Dufferin Grove rink house, in the northwest corner of the park; 3-7pm.

Etobicoke Civic Centre. 399 The West Mall, at Burnamthorpe Rd., 416-338-0338; Sat 8 am–noon.

High Park Organic Market. Inside the park, beside Grenadier Restaurant, 416-882-5140. May until the end of October, Fri-Sun.

Mel Lastman Square, in North York. 5100 Yonge St., 416-395-7582; Thur 8-2.

Nathan Phillips Square. Bay St., at Queen St. W., 416-338-0338; W 10-2:30.

Stonegate Farmers Market, 276 Parklawn, at Doddlington, 416-231-7070. Tues 4-7 pm in the Parklawn Baptist Church parking lot.