Take a little detour this week – check out a farmer’s market to be inspired to eat what is in season – there’s a good chance health will be on the menu too!

As I was looking through the blog at WellBalancedNutrition.com, I found this article about meal planning… with six ideas on creating your own meal planning process. Included in the six ideas is visiting a farmer’s market.

“... Farmers often have great ideas and tips for cooking with veggies. Whether trying a new veggie or looking for a new way to enjoy a staple, ask your friendly farmer.”

I’ve found this to be so true. A few weeks ago I picked up a new (to me) variety of asparagus at the farmer’s market.Farmers Market haul - including purple asparagus

Purple asparagus! When I asked the farmer what was different about this variety of asparagus, she said it was high in antioxidants compared to regular green asparagus.

Purple asparagus’ color comes from the high levels of anthocyanins in the spears. Anthocyanins are potent antioxidant flavonoids that have protective and preventative health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.

Rob and I found this variety of asparagus to be more tender and sweet, however, the purple color changed to regular green during the cooking process.

Meal Planning Inspiration

Need some inspiration for healthy meal planning – visit your farmer’s market this week, see what’s different and pick up something you haven’t tried before!