Welcome to our new Mindful Eating Series. Mindfulness invites us all to be fully present in the moment – but what is mindful eating? Simply, it’s a chance to slow down and reflect on what we eat, how we eat, and what that means for our body and mind. In our fast-paced lives, we rush from one moment to another. We rarely get the chance to think about the thousands of small choices that can impact our wellbeing. That’s especially true when it comes to food, which is why we’ve started the Mindful Eating Series to help you on your journey.
Can you feel it? Spring is in the air!
This Saturday marks the first day of Spring. Families will soon be outside (depending on where you live) enjoying picnics in the park, going for bike rides and planting flower beds. Spring is also a time when fresh vegetables are in abundance.
With so many vegetables to choose from in the produce aisle, we can often find ourselves racing through our grocery list.
Mindful eating can mean a lot of things, particularly reflecting on the eating experience – savoring every flavor and noticing the colors, textures, and smells of every ingredient. It also encompasses the cooking process and the many ways we can use our time in the kitchen to benefit our wellbeing, reduce waste, or spend time with family and friends. It’s important to remember that mindful eating really starts here in the grocery store. So, we should always take the time to think carefully about the food we’re putting in our bodies before we get to the cash register.
One important factor to consider, not only for our own nutrition but for the health of our planet, is sustainability.
With some products, it can be confusing – although it’s getting easier every day! With fresh meat, you’ll often want to look for labels like “Free-Range,” “Grass-Fed,” or “Pasture-Raised.”
With fresh produce like tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, there is one simple way to know you’re buying sustainably grown and healthy products: look for the little logo that says Greenhouse Grown.
It’s so important to know where your food comes from. Learning about the growing process can help you to reconnect with food and become more mindful about the water, energy and work that has brought it to your plate. With greenhouse growing, you can know exactly how your favorite veggies are produced.
Greenhouse Grown vegetables are inherently sustainable. Greenhouses require less land and less water to grow more vegetables. This efficiency is making it possible to provide people with healthy options while having much less impact on this planet we love.
Pure Flavor® is part of the next generation of vegetable growers.Our growing team has found innovative ways to marry traditional farming techniques with sustainable growing technology.
For example, we use precise, closed loop Drip Irrigation Systems to give every plant the exact amount required – no more, no less. Every single drop of water that a plant doesn’t soak up is recycled to be used for other plants. The greenhouse environment is carefully climate controlled with all our plants being grown in coconut fiber and other recycled mediums. With sustainability in mind, our growers employ thousands of ladybugs as an all-natural pest solution.
There is no energy wasted in a Pure Flavor® greenhouse: it all goes straight to the tomato, cucumber and peppers you bring home.
Growing vegetables in the heart of Georgia also means we can provide vegetables to 80 million people within 24 hours of leaving the greenhouse. Ultimately, growing more locally helps us to reduce emissions from transportation while supporting communities in the state. We are effectively reducing food miles by grower closer to you which also ensures fresher product in your favorite grocery stores.
For all these reasons and more, choosing sustainable greenhouse grown produce is a great way to practice mindful eating.
Many people who care deeply about sustainability and want to be more mindful about their food choices like to have a diet rich in organic ingredients. While all produce grown in Pure Flavor’s® greenhouses meet highest standards of sustainability, food safety and nutrition, our line of USDA Certified Organic tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers can help you feel confident in making a purchase that reflects your personal values for a balanced and healthy lifestyle.
We surveyed over 650 people across North America in our Love for Fresh campaign in late fall 2020. The results showed that 80% of people buy organic produce at least once every month. 76% agreed that purchasing organic products shows they take care of their body and 75% said eating organic is a healthy lifestyle choice.
If eating organic is important to your lifestyle, health and well-being, sustainable greenhouse grown produce should be on every grocery list, regardless of the season.
Once it’s time for dinner, there are sustainable choices you can make at home that can help you enjoy fresh food more mindfully. For example, think carefully about the ingredients you need for each recipe. Try to minimize waste where you can – leftover chicken bones, onion peels and celery stalks can be made into a healthy broth. Or, you can start a compost bin to help feed your garden this spring.
If you have extra veggies leftover, save them for tomorrow’s lunches or a healthy snack to enjoy at work or school. Pure Flavor’s® Organic snacking lineup includes tasty options kids love like Organic Aurora Bites Mini Sweet Peppers and Organic Juno® Bites Red Grape Tomatoes.
It’s important to remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. If we can all take small steps to eat more mindfully and sustainably at every meal, we can grow a brighter future for our planet and for ourselves. March 20th is the first day of Spring – the perfect opportunity to take the first step on a journey towards sustainability.
Live Delicously®
