Using Seasonal Produce to Boost Your Food Budget
By Karin Palmer, LD, RD, CDE
We’re paying more these days at the grocery store, with many factors affecting the rise in food costs. Higher costs can be blamed on rising fuel prices - making it more expensive to grow, harvest, transport and package food; poor crop yield; and/or the economy in general.
As a dietitian, many of my clients ask how to save money when they’re food shopping without sacrificing nutrition. One tip I always suggest to them…buy produce in season. Check the food section in your newspaper to find the best buys for the week, which are usually based on the fresh produce in season for your geographic area.
Food in season is usually priced to sell. For example, during the summer, corn can cost as little as 15 cents per ear; out of season, it may cost 10 times as much.
If you live in Ohio, log onto http://ourohio.org/index.php?page=whats-in-season for a calendar of Ohio’s fresh produce. In this geographic area, August offers an abundance of produce including corn, eggplant, tomatoes, green beans, peaches, raspberries and plums.
Support your local famer’s markets for great deals on local produce. To find a local farmer’s market log onto http://ourohio.org/map/ohfb_map_content.html . Click your county and search for “What’s in Season,” “Buying Local,” or “Local Dining.”
Other sites for farmer’s markets include:
http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/
http://www.pickyourown.org/OHharvestcalendar.html
Karin Palmer is one of the dietitians contracted with Ease@Work to provide nutritional coaching through the wellness segment of our employee assistance program. Karin is a licensed and registered dietitian; she is also a certified diabetes educator.
