BonnerSprings.com

I can't think of anything that says "summer" more than garden-fresh produce. I'm afraid my own garden isn't up to speed this year so I'm going to have to depend a little more on my friends at our local farmers market.

Did you know that the U. S. Department of Agriculture estimates that more than 1 million people visit a farmers market every week? Or that more than 20,000 farmers use farmers markets to sell to consumers? While the produce at the average supermarket travels about 1,500-2,000 miles to its destination, most farmers markets' produce only travels around 50 miles. That's what our Leavenworth Farmers Market means when it says 'Fresh and Local to You'. The recent concern over certain tomatoes is yet another good reason to shop local.

Farmers markets offer a colorful, healthy variety of fruits and vegetables providing vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, which help the body in many ways, including maintaining a healthy weight, protecting against the effects of aging and reducing the risk of some cancers and heart disease. Nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables include:

¢ Fiber - Diets rich in dietary fiber have been shown to have a number of beneficial effects including decreased risk of coronary artery disease.

¢ Folate - Healthful diets with adequate folate may reduce a woman's risk of having a child with a brain or spinal cord defect.

¢ Potassium - Diets rich in potassium may help to maintain a healthy blood pressure.

¢ Vitamin A - Vitamin A keeps eyes and skin healthy and helps to protect against infections.

¢ Vitamin C - Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds and keep teeth and gums healthy.

Using "MyPyramid" (mypyramid.gov) as your guide, someone following a 2,000-calorie diet should eat the equivalent of two cups of fruits per day and the equivalent of two and a half cups of vegetables per day. Remember the following equivalents: one-fourth cup dried fruit equals one-half cup fresh, frozen or canned fruit and two cups raw leafy greens equals one cup of vegetable.

Safe food handling applies to fresh fruits and vegetables just as any other perishable food. Consider also the following food safety tips with your fresh produce:

¢ Go directly home from the market. Avoid side trips.

¢ Some produce can be ripened on the counter and then stored in the refrigerator.

¢ Refrigerate fruits and vegetables in perforated plastic bags.

¢ If fruits and vegetables are placed on refrigerator shelves, store them above meat.

¢ Wash hands before working with produce.

¢ Wash produce thoroughly. Wash produce before you use it, not when you bring it home.

¢ Rinse produce even when the peel is removed - such as for melons and citrus fruits.

For more market hints, download the fact sheet "The Garden Grocery" from the Leavenworth County Extension Office Web site at: leavenworth.ksu.edu.

For some tasty ideas on how to include more fruits and vegetables in your diet, the Leavenworth County master food volunteers have put together a cookbook called "Eat Fresh, Eat Healthy The 2007 Farmers Market Recipe Collection." The cookbook is available for $10 and includes recipes from local market vendors, as well as recipes demonstrated by the master food volunteers at last summer's market. Cookbooks may be purchased at the Leavenworth County Extension Office. The master food volunteers will also have the cookbooks available on the third Saturday of each month this summer, as they whip up more tasty samples at the Farmers Market.

Eat your fruits and vegetables, because as nutrition experts at the Produce for Better Health Foundation say, "More Matters!"

- Denise Sullivan is K-State Research and Extension - Leavenworth County director and the family and consumer sciences county agent. Contact her at the Extension Office, (913) 250-2300.

Comments