BY STEPHANIE NAVARRO (FLORENCE) – Collards are a Southern delicacy. They are rich in history and in flavor, and it is easy to see why they are one of the most commonly served side dishes in the South.
However, for anyone trying to be healthier or lose weight, it is time to take a long hard look not only at the collards served during family dinners, but the fried chicken, white rice and gravy and other high-calorie, high-sodium dishes offered.
It can be hard to look at this food with a critical eye because it represents a tradition of eating together, sharing time with friends and family. If you don’t want to lose that, what can you do? One solution is learning to cook in a healthy way.
One of the first things you can do to improve the nutrition of your family meals is buy locally.
“Field-to-table produce has not had time to lose nutrients compared to fruits and vegetables that have been transported great distances and then wait even longer in distribution centers,” said Anita Longan, registered dietician for Hope Health Diabetes Program and partner in On Track Lifestyles. “The flavor is better and vitamin C content is higher because produce is harvested when it is ripe.”
Charlie Caldwell, owner of Ovis Hill Farm, believes learning to eat local can also be fun.
“It’s takes a different approach,” Caldwell said. “You consider what’s in season and cook what is available. You can learn to love new produce, like watermelon radishes. People come here because we have things no one else has.”
Farmers benefit when there is a local market for their goods but Caldwell also emphasizes the economic benefit for the community when more people buy local.
“Money spent here stays here,” Caldwell said. “This creates a special relationship between a farmer and a shopper. It’s a really long-term commitment on the part of the farmer and we are just so grateful and so humbled people are taking time to buy our groceries.”
Buying vegetables is important but it is also important to prepare them in a healthy way.
“You’re getting fresh, high-quality food,” Caldwell said. “You want to make sure you get all the benefits and rewards out of it that you can.”
Cooking healthy can be daunting to some; for others, it is a foreign concept. Longan suggests preparing vegetables with organic olive oil or grass-fed butter, which has a healthier fat composition. Then, instead of adding salt, simply sauté with onions, peppers and garlic.
Read the story at SCNOW.com!