How to hygienically complement medical weight loss or alternative medicine in East Brunswick with a trip to the local market.
Have you ever paid a visit to the local farmer’s market? The Kelemen Farm Market here in East Brunswick is open seven days a week from 9am to 6pm, and offers a wide variety of the freshest, highest quality produce around. Unlike the grocery store, the fruits and veggies at the farmers market are sold by the farmers who grew them, giving you a chance to chat and interact with the man or woman who grew the food you’re about to enjoy.
As you use medical weight loss or alternative medicine to work towards a healthier lifestyle in East Brunswick, sticking to a nutritious diet is a big deal. All of us need quality fruits and vegetables to stay healthy, and there are few better sources for these goods than a farmer’s market.
When you do transition to buying produce from the farmer’s market, it’s crucial that you take extra steps to make sure the foods you are consuming are cleaned properly. Grocery stores put produce and meat through their own sanitation process. While you are skipping out on any pesticides and chemicals that conventional produce at the local store is exposed to, you are also missing out on those sanitation benefits.
Keep these food safety rules in mind after buying food from the local farmers market:
- Produce: Though produce typically doesn’t get waxed at farmer’s markets like it does at the grocery store, you should wash each fruit and vegetable thoroughly before cutting, cooking or eating. Regardless of whether or not it’s been grown organically, produce should always be rinsed with cold water before being used in any way. Hardy items like potatoes and carrots can be scrubbed a little more vigorously, while more delicate berries should only be rinsed just before use—washing before you store them can cause them to get moldy.
- Meat: Locally-grown meat is often devoid of the antibiotics and growth hormones used by large-scale commercial farming operations. However, special care needs to be taken by both farmer and consumer with any meat sold at an outdoor market. Be sure that the farmer is keeping the meat in a closed cooler with plenty of ice to keep it cold. If you’re planning on buying meat at the farmer’s market, you should bring a cooler or insulated bag of your own to keep it cold on your way home. And of course, make sure to separate the raw meat from your other purchases to prevent contamination.
- Dairy and Juices: Though the milk, eggs and apple cider at your farmer’s market may be delicious, they aren’t always pasteurized like they are at the grocery store. The taste of raw milk and the cheese made from it may appeal to some, but these products can be home to dangerous foodborne illnesses like E. coli, listeria and salmonella. Care with raw milk, juice and egg products should especially be taken for people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and the elderly. Fortunately, if you have any questions about a product’s pasteurization, the farmer will be right there to answer them.
The farmer’s market is one of the best places to get fresh food and support local agriculture. If you keep things sanitary, you too can reap the benefits of fresh, cheap produce and have a great time at your local market.
