Buy Local Citrus
Citrus fruits have long been valued as part of a nutritious diet. It is well established that citrus are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber essential for overall nutritional well-being. In addition to a good source of vitamin C, citrus fruits contain an impressive list of other essential nutrients, including both glycaemic and non-glycaemic carbohydrate (sugars and fibre), potassium, folate, calcium, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, and a variety of phytochemicals. And… citrus contains no fat, sodium, or cholesterol. However, it is now beginning to be appreciated that other active compounds found in citrus can also help to reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.
- Oranges, grapefruit, and tangerines are loaded with vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid).
- Vitamin C is one of the most powerful antioxidants acting as a scavenger to neutralize harmful elements naturally occurring within the body and helps fight cell and tissue damage that could lead to disease.
- Vitamin C also helps the body fight infection and may reduce risk of diseases, such as cancer.
- Vitamin C helps an expecting mom’s body absorb iron.
- Oranges, grapefruit, and tangerines contain fiber, which can help lower cholesterol, assist with digestion, and decrease the risk for cancer of the colon, rectum, breast, and pancreas.
- Folate is essential for growth and development, and plays a key role in DNA formation and cell division.
- Low levels of folate have been linked with low energy levels, depression and even memory loss.
- Lycopene acts as a powerful antioxidant against free radicals that can damage cells, DNA, and proteins. Lycopene, which has been associated with decreasing the risk of ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, and heart disease.
- Oranges, grapefruit and tangerines provide potassium, which can help lower blood pressure.
- Vitamin B6 can help lower the risk for heart disease.
- Grapefruit and oranges naturally contains more than 60 phytonutrients, many of them known as flavonoids, a class of natural antioxidants that many scientists believe may help the body in its battle against aging, allergies, infection, cancer, ulcers, and heart disease.
- Magnesium helps your body generate energy and is required for the action of over 300 enzyme systems in your body.
- Citrus are full of thiamin and niacin which help convert food into energy you need.
Buying food from local Kauai farms means getting food when it’s at its prime. Fresh food from local farms is healthier, and by choosing to buy and eat organic food, you are helping to create alternative markets for our farmers. See our Kauai Events Calendar for times and locations of local farmers’ markets.
Buy Local Figs
Figs can trace their history back to the earliest of times with mentions in the Bible. They were first cultivated in Egypt, then spread to ancient Crete, Greece, and Rome. Figs were later introduced to the Mediterranean and the Western Hemisphere. Although dried figs are available throughout the year, there is nothing like the unique taste and texture of fresh figs. They are lusciously sweet with a texture that combines the chewiness of their flesh, the smoothness of their skin, and the crunchiness of their seeds.
Figs grow on the Ficus tree, which is a member of the Mulberry family. There are more than one hundred and fifty variety of figs ranging in color and texture. Some popular varieties are:
Black Mission: blackish-purple skin and pink colored flesh
Kadota: green skin and purplish flesh
Calimyrna: greenish-yellow skin and amber flesh
Brown Turkey: purple skin and red flesh
Adriatic: light green skin and pink-tan flesh (most often used to make fig bars)
- Figs are a good source of potassium, a mineral that helps control blood pressure. Since many people consume high amounts of sodium, but do not eat enough fruits and vegetables, they may be deficient in potassium. Low intake of potassium-rich foods, especially when coupled with a high intake of sodium, can lead to hypertension.
- Figs contain phenols, which are antioxidants that may help with weight loss and help to protect against cancer and heart disease.
- Of all the common fruits, figs are the highest in overall mineral content.
- Figs are a good source of dietary fiber, which may have a positive effect on weight management.
- Results of a study showed a 34% reduction in breast cancer risk for those consuming the most fruit fiber compared to those consuming the least. Fruits richest in fiber include apples, dates, figs, pears, and prunes.
- The leaves of the fig have repeatedly been shown to have antidiabetic properties and can actually reduce the amount of insulin needed by persons with diabetes who require insulin injections.
- Fresh figs contain high levels of iron, a mineral that carries oxygen to blood cells and aids in metabolism.
- Figs are a fruit source of calcium, a mineral that has many functions including promoting bone density.
- Fresh figs are a good source of vitamin A, which is important for eye health. It also keeps your skin and mucous membranes moist, which is essential for proper functioning.
- Studies indicates that eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day may lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults, by 36%.
Buy Local Avocados
Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, and are among the richest source of fiber of all fruits and vegetables. It is also packed with vitamins A, several B-complex, especially B3 (folic acid), powerful anti-oxidants like vitamins C and E, calcium, iron, and potassium. Since avocados contain a large variety of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, as well as heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, eating a little avocado along with carotenoid-rich vegetables and fruits is an excellent way to improve your body’s ability to absorb carotenoids. Studies have proven that when even a small amount of avocado is consumed together with other fruits and vegetables, the absorption of phytonutrients are higher than when consumed on its own.
- The avocado has one of the highest monounsaturated fatty acids contents of any other fruit (almost twenty times).
- An avocado contains oleic and linoleic acids that are effective in lowering the LDL cholesterol and increasing the healthy HDL cholesterol.
- The high potassium and folate content in avocado helps to regulate blood pressure, protecting your body against circulatory diseases, heart problems and stroke.
- They have been shown to offer significant protection against breast cancer.
- Adding avocado to salad acts as a “nutrient booster” by increasing absorption of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and lutein.
- The potassium content and calories of an avocado is three times that of a banana.
- The high potassium content helps balance our body’s electrolytes, aids muscle activity, nerve function and energy metabolism.
- The sodium content in avocados and its low sugar content and absence of starch make it an ideal fruit for diabetics and hypoglycemics.
- The potent anti-oxidant content in avocado helps neutralize free radicals that are important for improving eyesight and prevent eye problems like astigmatism, cataracts and glaucoma.
- Studies have shown that certain unique phytonutrient substances in avocados have been known to help prevent the growth of prostate cancer cells and may even help repair the damaged cells.
Buying food from local Kauai farms means getting food when it’s at its prime. Fresh food from local farms is healthier, and by choosing to buy and eat organic food, you are helping to create alternative markets for our farmers. See our Kauai Events Calendar for times and locations of local farmers’ markets.
Becoming A Kauai Locavore
With Kauai being an island in the middle of the Pacific it makes all the more sense for us to strive towards sustainability and becoming locavores. Here are some ways to start:
Visit a farmers’ market.
Kauai has a farmers’ market everyday of the week showcasing locally grown fruits and vegetables. These markets help small farms through direct sales. Rather than going through a middleman, the farmer takes home nearly all of the money that you hand them for their fresh produce. See our Kauai Events Calendar for times and locations of local farmers’ markets.
Ask your supermarket.
Ask your supermarket where their meat, produce, and dairy is coming from. Remember that market managers are trained to realize that for each person actually asking the question, several others want to know the same answer. Let the market managers know what’s important to you.
Ask your favorite restaurant.
Find out if your favorite restaurant is supporting local farmers. Show an interest in their ingredients. Frequent the businesses that support Kauai farmers. By continuing to ask the questions you are sending a message that consumers want to know the origin of ingredients.
Buy from local vendors.
Besides locally grown, how about locally produced? Kauai has many locally produced jams, honey, coffee, cheese, and foods. By purchasing these local products you are supporting the local economy.
Visit a farm.
Take a tour of a local farm. When you visit, ask the farmers what challenges they have had and why they choose to grow what they are growing. Be sure to take the kids along so they can begin to learn where their food is coming from in order to feel a sense of connection to their dinner.
Kauai Locavore
Locavore comes from the Latin words ‘locus’ (meaning place) and ‘vorare’ (meaning to devour). The movement is about eating from your place, and with a sense of place. The definition of locavore has been refined to mean someone who seeks to eat food that is prepared and served within a 100-mile radius of where it has been grown or caught. On this small island of Kauai that simply means – eat local.
Various ways to become a locavore – visit a farmers’ market, ask your supermarket to stock locally grown food, support community agriculture programs, preserve a local food, find out which restaurants in your area support local farmers, buy from local vendors, visit a farm.
Farmers are recognizing the social and environmental advantages to sustainable agriculture, and in turn, consumers are coming to appreciate the benefits of fresh and sustainably produced food. Such producers and consumers are being linked through such innovative arrangements as community supported agriculture and farmers’ markets. On kauai, one can eat like royalty, every day of the year, on locally grown and produced food.
See our Kauai Events Calendar for times and locations of local farmers’ markets.
Buy Local Bananas
Buying local food grown in Hawaii helps support the local economy, and in return you get the freshest, best-tasting food available. Bananas (Mai’a or Musa paradisiaca) were brought to Hawaii in the voyaging canoes of Polynesian settlers, and now there are many varieties resulting from thousands of years of cultivation.
- Bananas are a good source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, and manganese.
- Bananas are one of our best sources of potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function.
- The many nutrients in bananas can boost digestive and immune health, lower LDL cholesterol, and increase energy.
- In addition to these cardiovascular benefits, the potassium found in bananas can also help to promote bone health.
- Bananas have long been recognized for their antacid effects that protect against stomach ulcers and ulcer damage.
- Eating three or more servings of fruit per day may lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration, the primary cause of vision loss in older adults.
- Bananas have beneficial bacteria that improve our ability to absorb nutrients, plus compounds that protect us against unfriendly microorganisms.
As recently as 50 years ago, about half of our food was still produced locally. Now, it is estimated that 80 to 90 percent of our food is imported. Being isolated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean makes shipping produce expensive, and uses a great deal of energy. Both visitors and residents of Hawaii can help save energy and resources by buying local.
See our Kauai Events Calendar for times and locations of local farmers’ markets.
