Eat Local Challenge

OK, I will admit that when it comes to food, I get stressed about prices, straying from what I know or being adventurous.  CityMama posted on her food blog about something called the Eat Local Challenge that she found in the San Francisco Chronicle.

There are some stipulations to the Challenge:

• The challenge is from April 23-29
• Eat only foods from within a 100-mile radius from where you live. This includes the ingredients that go into the food.   **It was also suggested, that you could define local as anything from your county to within the state or the United States.
• Spend about $10 per person per day.
• You can have some exemptions like coffee, tea, or salt, etc. that are part of your daily life but you can't find locally.

My first thought was, "You go with your bad self but I am so not down for this."  Stefania really highlighted farmer's markets and the fact that we live in California and have so many resources close to us. After reading the complete Challenge, I found that you can modify it a lot of ways.  After thinking about it some more I decided that I would try to do somethings to work towards the Challenge even though I am not ready to take on the full thing.  After all it is Earth Day so what better time to start right???

Here is what I have decided to do:

• Eat only local fruits and vegetables
• Anything else I can find to buy at the farmer's market to help with the eat local goal, do it!
• Use herbs from my own garden

I realize that these are very bare bones goals but it is a start.  I want to say that I decided not to do meat, fish, etc. because I just spent a night making food from Super Suppers so I am not going to double buy.  It doesn't make sense economically. 

I went to the farmer's market this morning to shop.  I got zucchini, tomatoes, asparagus and strawberries.  I also bought bread from a local bakery and cheese from a local guy.  I spent less than $20.  I would have bought raisins, oranges and lettuce but we just bought some at the store the other day.

I am not very earth friendly but I have been inspired by this challenge.  I hope during the next week to really work towards using local resources to feed my family.  It will mean reading more labels at stores and paying better attention but in the long run it is worth it.

What are you doing to help the earth?????

This was originally posted on Freitas Family