Why We're Real Food Enthusiasts

Over the past month, we've discussed what real food is, how to shop for real food, the benefits of buying local & seasonal real food, and provided you with some delicious real food recipes. So you may be wondering, why exactly are you both such real food enthusiasts?  

Well, let us tell you.

We love to eat real food. Unprocessed, unpackaged food. Food that sustains us, nourishes us individually and nourishes our communities, brings people together, and encourages us to feel our best.  In simplest terms, you can picture real food growing in nature; something our great-grandparents would recognize. For many communities, and especially for the children living in them, processed products are easier to put your hands (and taste buds) on than a ripe tomato.

The smell of basil picked just this morning, the deep orange yolk of an egg collected a few hours earlier, or the satisfying crunch of apples picked in season are not only real food pleasures, they are the foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating.

Real food means real health.

Our love of real food was inspired when were children. ***Cue childhood montage now.

                                                                          Lisa, at her childhood farm.

                                                                Me, working [very] hard in Grandma’s garden.

                                                                         Lisa, making sugar cookies…

                                                                     and me, making gingerbread cookies.

While we realize not every child has the opportunity to pull a ripe carrot from the soil, advocates of healthy eating including Jamie Oliver, Michael Pollan, and Marion Nestle understand the value of connecting to real food. Farmer’s markets provide a small window through which we can begin to understand where our food comes from, to taste how delicious real food can be, and to experience the wonder of the food that nourishes us – body and soul.

And as we’ve mentioned before, food just tastes better when we hear the story of how it travelled from farm to market. Connecting with the farmers who grow the food that will be on our table is the best ways to learn about what we eat – to learn where it comes from, how it can be prepared, and how it nourishes our body. Farmer’s markets and other real food resources provide local communities with the freshest foods – and makes eating healthfully a realistic and achievable goal. Not just flavor and nourishment, real and fresh food is a joy for all of our senses.

Curious to find local, seasonal, real foods in your area? We really love this interactive map from Epicurious to help you find what’s fresh near you. Plus, find ingredient descriptions, shopping guides, recipes & tips!