Children Eat More Veggies from Farm Stands!

One of my favorite expressions of spring, would be the local farm stands and markets opening up. There is simply nothing like it. The amazing sense of community, socialization and fresh air can never be duplicated in a grocery store. No, the farmer's market creates an atmosphere that is unique yet familiar.

"Ya, the produce is really pretty, but it goes bad by the end of the week."

Produce is probably the number one thing that you can buy at the farmer's market. Of course, after all the word farm is in the title. Most of these vendors do not use chemical treatments in order to keep the food fresher longer. So while yes, there may be more of a chance of produce gone bad in your kitchen, if you do some simple planning, you will not run into this problem. 

Here are some of my very easy, yet effective ways you can get all your delicious, colorful produce to stay fresher longer. 

• PLANNING PLANNING PLANNING! Make a list before you hit up the stands. In this modern era of technology, you can even check out most markets online to see the what vendors have which produce. Pretty cool if you ask me. Check it out if you can and make a list OR weekly menu for your household. Only go with enough cash to buy the things you need and a little for a good cup of coffee and scone. 
• Okay, you have your meals planned out for the week, the produce, eggs, meat, milk and spices are bought (at a cheaper cost I may add). Will they make it to the end of the week? Yes! When you get home from the market, clear off your counter space, get your good cutting board out and get to work. It take only a few minutes to do produce prep and the rewards are amazing! 
• Cut your fresh strawberries into cubes and throw the tops in the compost. This saves a good couple of days of enjoyment on these sweet berries. Salad greens need to be washed and placed into ziplock bags. Apples, pears and squash need to be kept in a cool dry climate. Cleaning, prepping and storing will make that buck stretch even further. 

Finally, bring your kids along to the market. When I was a kid, Saturday mornings in the square (Fayetteville, AR) was something that I always looked forward too. I took my small allowance and picked out fruits, veggies, soaps etc... for myself. If it was food, I took it home with care and was beaming with pride that I bough food for myself! This allows for children to become part of the shopping experience without the dread of the grocery store (to which I was NOT a fan of). 

Create a menu with your kids and then take the grocery list to the market. Let them pick out the asparagus or tomatoes. Children will be more likely to eat their veggies if they had a hand in picking it out. It is an all-inclusive experience. Trust me, you will have a blast-in-a-half with your family and it will become a weekly tradition. 

Finally, on a small side note: Please make sure you drop a couple of dollars in the local markets fund. A little goes a long way to bring the freshest, prettiest most sustainable food around. Let us all do our part to ensure a good farmer's market future. 

Cheers!