Eating
local foods makes a difference; it's a delicious, fun way to enjoy fresh,
healthy foods, support local farms and celebrate our local heritage.
The Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition is encouraging this practice with its annual Eat Local For The Holidays campaign.
“You are what you eat” is a fact. Research shows that diets high in fruits, vegetables, fiber and grains are associated with lower risks of heart disease and many types of cancer.
Healthy food choices play a significant role in obesity prevention and treatment. Kansas and Missouri unfortunately have obesity rates around 30 percent of the population.
The Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition is encouraging this practice with its annual Eat Local For The Holidays campaign.
The campaign website, at www.eatlocalkc.net, highlights many ways to access local foods,
through lists of some of the many farmer’s markets,
grocery stores and restaurants that sell or serve local foods.
This website is also a place to take the Eat Local Pledge. The pledge is simple: include at least one local food item in holiday meals this year. Last year more than 300 people took the pledge and that number is expected to double this holiday season. Those who take the pledge are entered in a drawing for local food prizes.
"If you've eaten local foods, you've tasted the delicious difference,” said Beth Low, Director of the Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition. “In addition to tasting great, buying local food keeps your dollars in the area economy and supports a local farmer, so it also made a delicious difference for the community."
"Making a delicious difference should be simple and our Eat Local For the Holidays website includes easy recipes, a seasonal food calendar, and tools for finding the nearest places to buy or eat local foods,” Low said. “Whether you're dining out, or hosting at home, there's a simple, delicious local option for every budget."
Among foods that are fresh now in Kansas and Missouri are apples, pears, broccoli, carrots, peas, pumpkins, spinach and sweet potatoes among many others. Wine and cider are also being produced locally, along with many meats such as beef, pork and poultry. With so many ways to enjoy local foods in your holiday festivities, it's easier than ever to take- and keep- the Eat Local pledge.
This website is also a place to take the Eat Local Pledge. The pledge is simple: include at least one local food item in holiday meals this year. Last year more than 300 people took the pledge and that number is expected to double this holiday season. Those who take the pledge are entered in a drawing for local food prizes.
"If you've eaten local foods, you've tasted the delicious difference,” said Beth Low, Director of the Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition. “In addition to tasting great, buying local food keeps your dollars in the area economy and supports a local farmer, so it also made a delicious difference for the community."
"Making a delicious difference should be simple and our Eat Local For the Holidays website includes easy recipes, a seasonal food calendar, and tools for finding the nearest places to buy or eat local foods,” Low said. “Whether you're dining out, or hosting at home, there's a simple, delicious local option for every budget."
Among foods that are fresh now in Kansas and Missouri are apples, pears, broccoli, carrots, peas, pumpkins, spinach and sweet potatoes among many others. Wine and cider are also being produced locally, along with many meats such as beef, pork and poultry. With so many ways to enjoy local foods in your holiday festivities, it's easier than ever to take- and keep- the Eat Local pledge.
"Sometimes making a
difference is deliciously simple. Eating local is one of those times,” Low
said.
Eat Local For The Holidays
Media Opportunities
- Interview Beth Low, Director of the
Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition
- Visit Farmer’s Markets open during the
holiday season, including Bad Seed (1909 McGee Street, Kansas City, Mo.,
Fridays, 4-9 p.m.)
- Visit Blue
Bird Bistro, an example of a "farm to table" restaurant where folks
can celebrate the holidays
Eat Local Fact Sheet“You are what you eat” is a fact. Research shows that diets high in fruits, vegetables, fiber and grains are associated with lower risks of heart disease and many types of cancer.
Healthy food choices play a significant role in obesity prevention and treatment. Kansas and Missouri unfortunately have obesity rates around 30 percent of the population.
A strong local food system
keeps dollars in our community.
Produce in the average U.S.
grocery store travels nearly 1,500 miles from the farm where it was grown. Eating local means we are
less affected by large-scale food recalls of contaminated goods that are
processed in consolidated facilities and shipped throughout the country. Local foods can be a more
sustainable and environmentally friendly solution to shipping in food from long
distances. Because local foods aren’t
shipped long distances, they tend to be fresher, with higher nutrient
content and better flavor. A strong local food system
keeps revenue in our community and provides opportunities for small and
mid-sized farmers and other producers to develop and expand. Having a strong source of
local and regional foods makes our region more self-sufficient and more
insulated from food safety issues involving global and national food sources. Local farms can produce
regional and cultural foods that are important to our heritage. Lots of traditional holiday
foods, like potatoes, popcorn, pecans, and squash are locally grown and
available - fresh and delicious - during the holidays. Many area restaurants are now
"farm to table"; they are using local foods to keep their menus
fresh and their customers satisfied.
Using local foods in your
holiday celebrations can be very simple; baked potatoes or sweet potatoes don’t
require a knife, a pot or a pan.
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