Fruits!

Spring has finally arrived at the supermarket. For weeks I've been wandering the produce section, choosing pears, apples, and bananas, again. I skip over the peaches from Chile, hard as a rock. I ignore the imported grapes (too many pesticides). "Eat local" is a hard concept to execute in New England.

But today I stopped in at Whole Foods (or Whole Paycheck, as it's sometimes known) and was immediately overwhelmed with choices. And while most were decidedly not local, I was pleased to find melons from Texas, organic raspberries from California, and cherries from Washington state. All were a big improvement from what's been available for months around here. Last year, when I really started to overhaul our food choices, I decided my shopping strategy would be this:

• Buy produce from local farms when possible (around here, only possible for about 4-5 months).
• Choose organic produce if it fits in the budget (I've noticed the prices have dropped and are often competitive with regular produce) and looks good.
• Shop the supermarket for U.S. grown produce, avoiding the dirty dozen if possible. New labeling laws have made it easy to see the country of origin for most produce (and meats), which is immensely helpful.
• Buy imported produce as a last resort (generally, late winter).

Thoughtful food shopping can be a lot of work, but I am really committed to making the best choices I can for my family.