A local, seasonal diet is somewhat of a new concept for many of us.  Little by little, the “localvore” message is spreading across the nation. It reminds me of the time yoga got our attention in the U.S. over 10 years ago. These are great examples of “trends”  that can stick around and be positive and healthy additions to our culture.   If you desire a little non-preachy education and inspiration to get on your way to eating locally and in season, I invite you to watch a fantastic mini-documentary (it’s about 20 minutes).  The delightful owner of Green Grocer Chicago, Cassie Green,  offers her refreshing insight and reminds us that eating locally is not only the right thing to do, but its easy! It’s a healthy choice for the environment, our bodies, and the people in our community.  Watch it and you’ll also hear from a proactive Chicago resident who converted the roof of his garage into his own little farm.

If I may offer one more suggestion,  read Barbara Kingsolver’s latest book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (from which I obtained this beautiful photograph). The author and long-time resident of Tucson, Arizona relocated with her husband and two daughters to live on a farm in rural Virginia where, for one year, they vowed to eat only food that was produced either by themselves or in the area in which they lived. Kingsolver’s book is persuasive, enlightening, and a captivating memoir of their experience. I have learned so much from her book…I hope you love it as much as I do!

Finally, with thanks to the TEENS organization, affiliated with Chicago’s Nature Museum, here are some basic tenets of the local, seasonal food movement.

• Nutritional Benefits: when you buy produce that was not grown locally, it has been shipped from its country of origin to your grocery store shelves.  The fruit and veggies must be picked before they’re ready so that they can endure the voyage and not arrive over-ripe. This results in produce that doesn’t contain its full nutritional benefits. Locally grown, seasonal produce is picked just as soon as it’s ripened, therefore you get it with maximum flavor and nutritional content.  By shopping locally, and from the many local farmer’s markets, you will be exposed to a wide variety of food and receive the best nutrition.
• Environmental Benefits: produce from a conventional grocery store travels an average of 3000 miles before it gets in your hands. By purchasing locally grown foods, you spare an enormous amount of carbon being emitted into the atmosphere. Produce harvested in season requires much fewer additives and pesticides to remain fruitful. Eating in season teaches us the natural cycle of foods that grow in our geographical location, benefits the environment, and improves our health by giving us the best nutrition possible.
• Benefits to the economy and the community: By supporting local farmers, we create incentive to maintain open land in the urban and rural areas. Shopping from local farmer’s markets creates a sense of community and allows us to learn how, where, and by whom the food we are eating is produced. Giving money to the local community, especially in these challenging economic conditions, support a stronger local economy.

To find your local farmer’s markets, visit www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets.

For a list of local community supported agriculture programs, where you may sign up and receive a regular supply of local fruits and veggies, check out www.csacenter.org.

Dear Megan,

The doctor said I am little low on Vitamin D, which is fairly common in Chicago.  I imagine this will be less of an issue since its warming up and getting sunny, but I had a question on supplements.  I generally don’t like to take anything, but try to add anything from a food, so I was looking for some recommendations on healthy foods with D.  If I do have to take a supplement any thoughts on cod liver oil vs a Vitamin D3 pill?   -Mike

Cod liver oil is an excellent source of Vitamin D. “Nordic Naturals” makes a good cod liver oil supplement called “Arctic-D”, which contains 1000IU of vitamin D3 per serving. I recently started taking “KAL” brand chewable D3 (available at Whole Foods), that also provides 1000IU per dose, which is the recommended daily dose based on current research. In the summer,when you’re outside daily, you’ll probably get sufficient vitamin D.  It takes about 10-15 minutes of direct sun exposure per day to synthesize adequate vitamin D.  However, you’re right that it is difficult for us to obtain adequate Vitamin D from our diet alone during the winter months. Dietary sources of Vitamin D are a bit limited. Some fair choices are fortified dairy products and cereals, as well as sardines, salmon, and eggs. I recommend a D3 supplement to make sure you get enough all year long.  Vitamin D is essential for bone healthy and several studies suggest adequate Vitamin D may prevent certain types of cancer, high blood pressure and autoimmune disease.

If you’ve got some leftover rice hanging around the fridge, or simply want a change from your usual breakfast grains, this is a great dish. My photo doesn’t do it justice!

Breakfast Rice
2-3 cups soymilk or lowfat cow’s milk (I prefer 3 cups to create a thinner consistency)
2 cups cooked rice (try Trader Joe’s Organic frozen brown rice, which cooks to a perfect texture in your microwave in only 3 minutes)
1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or mix half & half with almond extract)
1 cup dried fruit (raisins or dried cherries work nicely)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I suggest toasted walnuts or almonds)
1/4 maple syrup (or agave nectar)

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes.  You want the rice to soften, and thicken up a bit.  Stir every so often to prevent sticking. You’ll have 2-4 servings.
Top with chopped fresh fruit or berries.

Miso is a fermented soybean paste originating in Japan.  It’s made by adding a yeast mold (“koji”) to soybeans and other ingredients, then allowing them to ferment for anywhere from weeks to years, depending upon the type of miso being produced. Once this process is complete, the fermented ingredients are ground into a smooth paste. Types of miso include hatcho miso (made from soybeans), kome miso (white rice and soybeans), mugi miso (barley and soybeans), soba miso (buckwheat and soybeans), genmai miso (brown rice and soybeans), and natto miso (ginger and soybean). My personal favorite is mugi miso, for it’s richer flavor. Miso contains a variety of nutrients, including zinc and vitamin A and B12, as well as probiotic bacteria that promote digestive tract health. According to Eastern medicine, miso is a detoxifying blood cleanser.  It contains a substance called “sybicolin” that is believed to expel toxic substances from the body.  Several years ago, Japan’s National Cancer Center conducted research that concluded that regularly eating miso soup reduces breast cancer risk.

Miso can be used in wide variety of ways.  Here are a few suggestions.

• When you’re feeling under the weather, or simply craving a nutritious warm beverage, dissolve about 1 tbsp of miso into a large mug of hot water, and enjoy.
• Create a delicious, easy homemade salad dressing. Combine miso with olive oil, a dash of sesame oil, rice vinegar, grated ginger and garlic, to taste.
• Make a comforting miso soup by bringing 3 cups water to a boil. Soak a piece of sea vegetable (wakame) in some water for a minute (until it’s soft), dice into small pieces. Add the wakame to the water, along with several pieces of some chopped vegetables, such as carrots, mushrooms, bok choy, kale, and onion. Add tofu cubes if desired.  Simmer, uncovered, until the veggies are tender. While you wait, dissolve about 1 tbsp miso in warm water in a small bowl.  When the veggies are done, stir the dissolved miso into the soup. Simmer for another few minutes. Refrain from boiling the miso, as this will destroy the benefical bacteria and enzymes.   Garnish with sliced green onions, grated carrots, or parsley.
• Whip up a savory sauce or marinade for chicken, fish, or tofu. Combine about 2 tbsp miso (preferably Shiro, a sweet white miso),  with a little soy sauce, lemon zest, sesame oil and water.  Add a tiny bit of sweetener, such as brown rice syrup or agave nectar, if you like. Use any combination that tastes good to you. Garnish with chopped scallion.

“The presence of healthy options on a menu can induce some diners to eat less healthily than they otherwise would”, so says the New York Times, reporting on a soon to be released paper by the Journal of Consumer Research. A recent study tested this theory on college students by giving them two separate menus.  Menu #1 contained French fries, chicken nuggets and a baked potato. Menu #2 was exactly the same, but included a salad option.  When choosing from menu #1, only 10 percent of the students selected french fries.  However, when given Menu #2,  33 percent of the same student chose French fries.  Why were the French fries, largely considered the most unhealthy option,  three times as popular with students selecting from the menu that had the salad?  Perhaps the salad is significantly less appealing when competing side-by-side with those tasty French fries.  Another thought, when we dine at fast food restaurants, we typically do so with the intention of eating “unhealthy” foods.  Personally, I do not visit a McDonald’s looking for a good salad. Rather, I do so to satisfy my inner child that still craves a Filet-o-Fish once in a while.  Thoughts?

Make your own cereal at MeAndGoji.com. Choose from over 50 different natural, organic ingredients, including treats like choco-cranberries, cocoa nibs, and goji berries, to mix your own custom blended cereal. Shipped right to your home in a neat little capsule.  It’s fairly affordable, with cost depending on the ingredients you desire.  Definitely worth trying out!

Tonight was a particularly good one.  Good tasting and, I postulate, good for our minds. As my boyfriend prepares for an intense exam tomorrow, I wanted to cook a nice meal of “brain food”.  In this case, I decided “brain food” would be omega-3 saturated fish…salmon and a little anchovy sauce on top…some healthy carbs, and a vitamin/antioxidant rich salad.   Like salmon, anchovy’s are high in omega-3, thus a frequent ingredient in fish oil supplements. When shopping for salmon, wild sockeye salmon is an excellent choice, because its always wild. Scientists haven’t yet figured out how to farm-raise it, therefore its very pure, contains a  high level of healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, and a low mercury content.  The conditions in which farm-raised salmon exist, and the diet they are fed, renders them less nutritious, lower in Omega-3 fatty acids, and exposes them to pesticides and antibiotics.  So wild is best.

To prepare the salmon, I didn’t do much other than bake it with olive oil and pepper. It’s drizzled with an easy sauce comprised of lemon juice, mashed anchovy, and chopped fresh rosemary. But you could certainly omit the sauce and instead add some sea salt to the salmon before cooking.  The grain is a mixture of quinoa and wheat berries, with a little salt and pepper. And the other is a salad of raw beets, mixed with sliced pear, a little feta cheese, some mint, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  It sounds quite fancy, but it was very easy to prepare. The most time consuming task was slicing the beets. But slicing and chopping is a great way to zone out and relax for a minute.