NUTRITION: Do you know where your food comes from?

Preserved fruits and vegetables.

Do you know where your food comes from? In recent years, people have become more concerned about the origin of their food, especially here in Southern California.

Some of this heightened awareness has been spurred from popular food advocacy films as well as a rise in food-borne illness outbreak.

The growth of the local food movement has been driven by people not only wanting to know more about their food, but also an overall increased understanding of the role of nutrition in overall health.

While there is no one agreed upon definition for “local” when it comes to food, many people think of local as being within 100 miles of where they live. Most agree that local food comes from the state in which they live. Other locally-minded folks aim to choose foods that are sourced closer to home over the alternatives, such as opting for Pacific salmon over Atlantic salmon.

An old practice that has close ties to eating local, which has been making a big comeback is canning. Canning is an economical way to preserve fruits and vegetables during their peak of freshness to be enjoyed throughout the off season. Whether you grow your own or don’t want to say goodbye to your summer and early autumn farmers’ market favorites, such as berries and tomatoes, this age-old practice can keep them on the table year round.

Another way to take advantage of the bounty of local produce is to join a community-supported agriculture (CSA), such as Tanaka Farms in Irvine that serves much of the South Bay area.

Those who belong to a CSA are essentially shareholders in one or more local farms that supply fresh, often organic, produce on a regular basis at pickup locations or sometimes by delivery. CSAs provide members with a more personal connection to their food source while supporting local agriculture.

Choosing to eat more local foods starts with learning about your food and how and where it is produced.

The next step is to look for local alternative to items you often consume. For example, grapes sold in California might be from Mexico, Chile or they could be local. Local food can be more affordable, fresher and have more nutritional value than food that has traveled a distance to reach your supermarket.

Here are some tips for taking part in the local food movement:

1. Take a class on gardening or canning.

2. Look for the state or country of origin of foods when grocery shopping.

3. Support your neighborhood farmers’ market and talk to the farmers about their products.

4. When dining out choose restaurants that use local produce and meats.

5. Buy foods that are in season.

6. Consider joining a CSA.

7. Grow a garden or join a community garden.

8. Preserve foods while they are in season by canning, freezing, drying, or pickling them.

9. If your local ordinances allow it, raise a few chickens for their eggs.

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