Here’s to a Healthy Summer: The Benefits of Local Produce
It’s the perfect time of the year to get outside and take advantage of the abundance of our locally grown produce!
For many years, Heinen’s has devoted the summer season to sourcing your favorite fruits and vegetables from our local growers. Today, our summer produce comes from over 75 Ohio farms that are committed to sustainable, healthy growing. The short travel distance from farm to store allows the produce to be at the peak of quality and nutrition so you can fuel your body with what it needs to achieve optimal health in the busy warm-weather months.
In addition to the benefits of great taste and nutritional value, by shopping local, you are supporting the future of local family farms that are dedicated to providing a fresh, high-quality seasonal selection.
If you’re ready to explore the delicious and colorful local options Heinen’s Produce Department has to offer, here a few things to keep in mind.
Grab Local Spring Greens: The Bitter, the Better!
By the time June rolls around, our bodies are begging to drive down inflammation and detoxify from the colder sedentary months. With local spring greens, you’re in luck! Chlorophyll, the green pigment in spring greens, is anti-inflammatory. In addition, there are a multitude of phytonutrients that fuel our bodies and their major detoxification systems. Greens basically act as a nutritive anti-inflammatory cleanser to help the body naturally rid itself of harmful toxins.
Bitter greens like arugula, dandelion and mesclun are packed with fiber, nutrients and anti-inflammatory properties. Use these as the base on a salad and then kick it up a notch with toppings like fresh fruits, veggies and herbs, nuts, seeds and fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi.
Buy Up All of The Local Berries: Healthy and Ripe
Blueberries are a superfood superstar! They act as an antioxidant powerhouse that reverses inflammation from sugar.
Brain-boosting berries like strawberries, blackberries and raspberries are high in fiber and make for a perfect low-glycemic sweet treat by themselves or paired with dark chocolate, another superfood!
Adding calorie-sparse, nutrient-dense superfoods into your diet is a fun and easy way to nourish your body with everything it needs to thrive this summer, so don’t miss out on our selection of pick-of-the-corp local summer fruits, veggies and GREENS!
Be well,
Dr. Todd
