Do you actively purchase local foods and products?
There is something about buying a product from a person or business in your community. I grew up in a small town and there were not a lot of options when it came to places to shop. We would usually need to drive more than 15 miles if not more to get the things we needed as a family. Now, I live in a city where everything is at my fingertips at anytime of the day. I am fortunate enough to work in a grocery store and can grab anything I need right after work. I have food, clothing, home goods, pharmacy, mail, dry cleaning...seriously, almost everything. I used to find a day of shopping and going to different places to get different things fun...but I don't anymore. I always go back to my biggest currency of time and I really do not want to be spending it driving around town to get paper towels here or a bag of almonds there.
I shop local where I work, which is also a local grocer. I also like to support businesses and restaurants which are not chains and are in my community. When I know the person creating the product and I can tangibly talk to them or reach out to them at anytime, there is something special about that. Going to my local farmers' market, seeing produce someone loved and cared for and then being able to enjoy the nourishment it provides, this is truly really special. There are endless choices of how we shop, but there are not endless local choices for how we shop. We can do our part by keeping our community thriving and surviving.
Nosh Two. Weekly Conversation.
Today’s conversation is with Andres Ayesta, a registered dietitian who fell into dietetics by chance and is currently specializing in nutrition education for athletes and running his own private practice.
I was graciously introduced to Andres through Libby, a mutual dietitian friend, because of his very unique journey into the field of dietetics as well as his insane hustle and work ethic. Andres has had a winding road to becoming a dietitian but has the most sincere passion for our profession. What I enjoy most is his videos where you can catch him delivering some great information on intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet on his website and facebook page. Through his journey, he has had some amazing opportunity but has also dedicated much of his life toward succeeding and helping others succeed, by working a full-time job and running his own private practice.
Nosh Three. Weekly #HellYeah.
The temps have dropped, fall is in the air and I finally made it to The Downtown Farmers' Market thanks to my friend Stacey and her kiddos. Yes, it has been open all Summer and yes, I suck at making the time. So we bundled up and braved the cool breeze for some warm drinks and food and to grab the last of the delicious local produce. It was also a great time to spend with these fun-loving, crazy weirdos!
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| Grabbed a quick photo with Cyril, Piper and Paxton #DTFM to kick off the morning. |
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| THE BEST BREAKFAST BURRITO from HOQ. The owners of this delicious, farm-to-table restaurant in Downtown Des Moines used to be Stacey's neighbors. They make the wrap themselves (which you can also buy separately) and fill with local sourced sausage, eggs, kale and sweet potatoes. There is a spicy sauce to put on top and with a warm cup of coffee...this is a two thumbs up! |
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| Grade A Gardens sells organic produce, even at this time of year. They had beautiful squash, potatoes, onions and garlic. |
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| Stacey and Piper loading up on all the kale. |
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| Brussels, lettuce and green beans still looking delish. |
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| I couldn't pass up the opportunity on these roots! I am excited to try 2 different types of radishes and I got a couple turnips for beef stew later in the week. |
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| Hello lover. This watermelon radish was almost to pretty to eat. Almost. |
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| It is also the time of year where my favorite store the Fleur Drive Hy-Vee creates gourmet caramel apples. My friend Mel made some delicious Heath and chocolate ones for me. |
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| I had to enjoy mine outside on the patio amongst the fall leaves. |
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| My "Love Local" Playlist can be found on Apple Music and Spotify. |
Nosh Five. What I Love Right Now.
There are usually aisles devoted to endless candy for the upcoming holiday, but there are some kiddos and adults who are not able to enjoy these kind of treats. The Teal Pumpkin project was created to not single out kids who suffer from food allergies and provides a way to provide inclusion and joy for everyone. I think this is such a great idea by offering non-food items as trick or treat goodies. There are so many fun things out there to give away, why not choose those instead? Since I have been a dietitian and have worked with helping schools get healthier, they are also trying to get away from using food as a reward so this would also fit right in. Hy-Vee and my store has embraced this concept and my friend Tonette painted some adorable pumpkins, including this polka dot one. Place a teal painted pumpkin on your doorstep if you would like to offer non-food items as well as candy to make all kiddos smile this Halloween.
~AE
*All views and opinions on products, food and businesses in this blog post are my own and are not sponsored in any way. I just love to share great things!
