Eat healthier this summer by shopping at a farmers market

Posted July 01, 2016 6:00 am

From Harvard Health Publications

Shopping at your local farmers market may help your family eat healthier, Harvard Health Publications reports.

"When you attend a farmers market, you can have exposure to all kinds of fruits and vegetables that you may not see in your local grocery store. You may try things that you would not normally eat," says April Bowling, a doctoral student at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Bowling and her colleagues have studied the effects of farmers markets on residents of inner city neighborhoods. In one study that gave incentives for shopping at farmers markets, the participants reported that they had lowered their daily soda consumption by 25 percent and increased the amount of vegetables they ate by 12 percent.

In addition, more than a third of the participants cited their kids' willingness to eat more vegetables as the most important reason they stuck with the program.

Farmers' markets do more than offer a unique selection of fresh produce; they also provide an environment that's conducive to smart shopping.

"There's a culture that's specific to farmers markets," Bowling says. "You're surrounded by other customers who are making healthy choices and by farmers who have grown the produce and know how to prepare it."

Many farmers markets offer cooking and educational programs for children.

Benefits of shopping at a farmers market include:

Freshness: Just-picked produce is at its peak in flavor and nutrition.

Variety: You may find some fruits or vegetables you haven't seen before or new versions of old standards.

Information: You can learn a lot at a farmers market because the people who sell the produce are likely to have had a hand in growing it. They should be able to tell you the kind of farming methods used and offer suggestions on preparing the food.

Samples: If you're wondering if the cherries are sweet or tart or if the apples are crisp, ask for a sample. Most vendors are happy to comply.

Fewer temptations: There are no "center aisles" filled with processed foods and snacks at farmers markets, and no candy-stocked checkout counters.

Sustainability: Eating locally or regionally grown produce means less energy is expended bringing it to your table. And supporting regional agriculture is good for your community.

Local farmers markets

Here is a sampling of farmers markets in the suburbs.

Arlington Heights: 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays in the parking lot across the street from the Arlington Heights Historical Museum, at Vail and Fremont.

Barrington: 2-7 p.m. Thursdays at Cook and Main streets, downtown Barrington.

Buffalo Grove: 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sundays at Mike Rylko Community Park, 951 McHenry Road, Buffalo Grove.

Elk Grove: 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays by the Clock Tower on Municipal Grounds at 901 Wellington Ave.

Elgin: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays, in parking lot at 200 N. Grove Ave.

Grayslake: 3-7 p.m. Wednesdays at 100 Center St., downtown Grayslake.

Gurnee: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays at Esper Peterson Park, Grand Avenue and Kilbourn Road.

Huntley: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays at Town Square, 11704 Coral St.

Lake Zurich: 3-7 p.m. Fridays at Paulus Park, 200 S. Rand Road.

Libertyville': 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursdays in Cook Park between West Church Street and Cook Avenue, downtown Libertyville.

Mount Prospect: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays at the Mount Prospect commuter depot, west parking lot (Northwest Highway at Route 83)

Mundelein: 3-7 p.m. Fridays, Santa Maria del Popolo Church parking lot, 116 N Lake St.

Palatine: 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays at the Palatine train station parking lot along Wood Street between Smith and Brockway

Naperville: 7 a.m. to noon Saturdays in the parking lot at Fifth Avenue Station, 200 E. Fifth Ave.

Schaumburg: 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays, Trickster Gallery, 190 S. Roselle Road.

St. Charles: 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays, at Fourth Avenue and Main Street, alongside Baker Memorial United Methodist Church, 307 Cedar Ave.

Wauconda: 3-7 p.m. Thursdays on Main Street, from Mill Street to the Village Hall.

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