Tag: farmers markets

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FARMERS MARKETS HELP WEIGHT CONTROL

Farmers Markets Help Control Weight
Farmers Markets Help Weight Control. Summer is the best time to lose weight.

We Hoosiers have been blessed this summer.  Lots of rain, and abundant crops. Which means  farmers markets have a lavish  array of fresh produce.  Vine ripened, red and yellow tomatoes.  Sweet, juicy cantaloupe and watermelon. Fresh picked corn. Peppers.   Some are  even selling colorful bouquets of coxcomb flowers  to decorate your living room and take your mind off food.  Now is the best time of year to try and lose weight.  Farmer’s markets help  weight control by providing us with the best “diet” food on earth.

There are a few unfortunate people who don’t like tomatoes.  I’m not one of them.  I keep a basketful in my kitchen.  When you get the hungries,   slice a tomato, add a little salt, and any  cravings for high calorie snacks disappear.  Here’s the good news:  One small tomato has only 15 calories.   Tomatoes are a source of the antioxidant lycopene, which has been linked to many health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. They  also provide vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin K.

Sweet corn is a great substitute for potatoes.   A baked potato has 161 calories vs. 59 calories for an ear of corn.  Butter will add extra calories to both.   Caution:   Do not overcook corn.   If you do, it will taste tough and starchy.  Boil for no more than 15 minutes.

Some folks are allergic to watermelon, but most aren’t. One problem is that they’re so big, it’s a challenge to consume the whole melon while  still fresh.  But as I mentioned in my blog last month, it can be frozen in chunks  to use in smoothies.  There are only 49 calories in a cup of  watermelon, but it  has a high water content, which  makes you feel full.  And it  has beneficial nutrients like Vitamins A and C.

Zucchini squash isn’t one of my favorite veggies, but it’s colorful and crisp..  When serving dip to guests, substitute zucchini slices for potato chips.  Did you know that 10 potato chips have 100 calories, while 10 zucchini slices have almost none?

Thank heaven for local farmers help with weight control. Fill your tummy with fresh fruits and veggies, and you’re bound to lose a few pounds.

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BUYERS BEWARE: MELONS ARE A CRAPSHOOT

There’s nothing so rare as a sweet, juicy cantaloupe.  But when you pick up one at the supermarket, you’re making a big gamble.  That’s because at least half the time, they’re bland.  Some are so bad that they taste like squash.  Buyers beware: melons are a crapshoot .

Years ago,  I used to return  a bad cantaloupe to the place where I’d bought it. Not so much for the money, but because I thought store managers shouldn’t get away with ripping me off.  When you see a big display of melons, you assume they’ve been tasted by someone in charge.  And maybe they have.  If so, that’s even worse.  How can a produce manager look their customers in the eye while selling them a bland  cantaloupe or a watery watermelon?

It's disappointing to pay good money for a bland, tasteless melon.
It’s disappointing to pay good money for a bad melon. Buyers beware:  melons are a crap shoot .

Farmers know when they have a batch of bad melons, and they know why. It’s typically due to too much or too little rainfall. When I was a child, we had a true farmer’s market in our city.  Not the dainty little affairs that pass for a farmer’s market nowadays.  Real farmers came to town with bushels of vegetables and fruits.  That’s when people canned at home.  If a farmer wanted to sell you a watermelon,  it was expected he would offer you a “plug” to taste.  Ditto for muskmelons, now called cantaloupes.  You always knew what you were getting when you bought a melon.

Today, buying supermarket melons is a crapshoot..  You lug the thing home, wash it under running water, then hold your breath while you cut into it.  Ahhh. This one is delicious.  You’ve hit the jackpot. Unfortunately, this only happens about half the time.  How many melons have you tossed in the garbage because they’re so tasteless?  You’re tempted to complain or ask for a refund, but it’s way too much trouble.  Your costly  melon is thrown away because it’s inedible.  Is that a rip-off, or not?

All supermarkets are guilty of selling bland, tasteless melon sometimes.  I think it’s wrong.  Buyers beware: melons are a crapshoot.  And if you get a bad one, be sure to complain to the store manager.   Maybe even ask for a refund.