Why Short Food Supply Chain MATTERS!
A LOT!!!
I talk a lot about Farm-to-table lifestyle here.
But the one thing that doesn’t get talked about at all is –
“How long is your supply chain?”
“How long does it take for your produce to reach you from the time of harvest?”
Wondering why this matters?
It Does, because the longer it takes, the greater the loss of nutrients from the vegetables.
Even if you store it in your refrigerator, the nutrient quality and quantity keeps deteriorating till you finally consume it. Which basically means that if you get out of season or imported vegetables or fruits, you are basically not getting optimal nutrition from it due to the storage, processing and travel time it had taken to reach you. Plus the preservative menace is going to be huge too in this case.
The best option is of course growing at least a few seasonal veggies yourself but if not then the next best option is to shop for smaller batches of produce and purchase vegetables at the peak of freshness and cook them as soon as you can. That way you can still get the maximum benefit.
✨Today’s lunch was made completely from my farm produce, even down to the chillies and curry leaves for garnish + our own coconut oil too!
Ridge gourd thuvayal + brinjal masala + raw papaya stir fry!
Yesterday
This is what my lunch plate looks like today! Again all the vegetables were from my vegetable garden!
💚Things I used in today’s lunch that I grew/made myself:
🍀Sundakai (turkey berry
🍀brinjal
🍀lady’s finger
🍀bitter gourd
🍀banana stem (vazhai thandu)
🍀coconut for garnish
🍀red & green chillies
🍀coconut oil
🍀chilli powder
🍀 Turmeric powder
💢Nutritional value of vegetables considerably deteriorates by the time it reaches our plate. The longer it takes from the time of harvesting to cooking, the greater the loss of nutrients.
💢Becoming self-sufficient in my needs as much as possible was an audacious goal I had to ensure my family got to eat fresh, pesticide-free/preservative-free food. Which seemed quite impossible living in a metro city.
I have to say this – I am truly proud of myself!”
Sometimes we forget that food, and by that I mean, good food is what we ultimately need to honour our bodies. Its the life force! Seeing Food not just as something to fill our stomach but to nourish our body, our cells, our immune system!
This lifestyle gives us;
Organic, Pesticide-free produce
Seasonal veggies
Vegetables at their peak nutrition and freshness.
And farm to plate is the shortest supply-chain, isn’t it!
Reflect on the importance of consuming fresh, homegrown produce. Our Free Home Gardening 101 for Beginners resource can help you start growing your own food. Enhance your gardening knowledge with our Online Organic Gardening Course. To manage kitchen waste sustainably, refer to our Free Home Composting 101 guide.
