Food

I just watched Food Inc. and I am re-inspired to change what I eat. I was originally very inspired to change our food shopping habits after reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. I made some changes after reading that book, but I slowly reverted back to many of my old ways.
Being pregnant, I think about the food I eat to feed my baby, the food that I will eat to produce breast milk, and the solid foods we will eventually feed our child. The thought of consuming mass produced beef and chicken or highly processed junk food disgusts me. I want to provide my baby with the best possible nutrition.
So, I have started doing some research. Living in Middle Tennessee, it is relatively easy to support the local economy and purchase farm fresh foods. I went to the website http://www.picktnproducts.org/ for guidance. I can purchase locally grown beef, chicken, turkey, milk, cheese, eggs, tomatoes, herbs, squash, potatoes, and much more at local farmers' markets and some stores. There are also a number of CSAs in the area. CSA or Community Supported Agriculture is a way to support a farm by signing up to buy a share of the farm's produce. You decide how large of a share you want and each week you pick up your basket of produce. The food is fresh (straight from the farm and only hours since it was harvested) and you know where it came from.
I am making a commitment to change! I will be buying as much food from local farmers as possible to support the local economy and to reduce pollution (tons of fuel is wasted on shipping food to grocery stores!). I will also plan meals with the season in mind. It is unnatural to be able to buy fresh tomatoes and strawberries year round. Not only that, but these foods taste exceptionally better when they are bought in season.

I hope I am able to sustain these changes so that our child will benefit from an exceptional diet and that he or she will learn to be a responsible consumer.