Young or old, student or professor, eating healthier is a goal toward which most of us are working. To highlight some ways that everyone can eat better--and some ways that we're falling short--the Healthy Turtle will be offering a series of articles in the coming days about eating better.
For our first offering, Stephanie Beauvais, a University of Baltimore graduate student in Dr. Sharon Desmond's HLTH780 Community Health course, offers her thoughts on the importance of fruits and vegetables in your diet and a convenient place to get them in town--the College Park Farmer's Market.
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Starting on May 2nd, the College Park Farmer’s Market will open up its stands for its 30th year serving the University of Maryland community and providing the nutritious, flavorful food—particularly vital fruits and vegetables—that college students need to stay healthy. Maintaining healthy eating habits while at college can be a difficult task, but getting fruits and vegetables from the farmer’s market is an easy and affordable way to do so.
Eating a balanced diet and consuming the appropriate amount of fruits and vegetables every day can help give you the energy you need as a busy college student. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that college students consume two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables every day (about 5 servings). The CDC also recommends that students incorporate a variety of fruits and vegetables in their diet in order to get the most benefit from their various nutrients and vitamins.
Unfortunately, the American College Health Association’s 2008 National College Health Assessment found that most students fall far short of the CDC’s recommendations. In the study, 60 percent of students were consuming only 1-2 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, 28 percent consumed 3-4 servings, and only 5 percent consumed the recommended 5 or more servings.
Rather than eat fruits and vegetables, students often rely on fast food and foods high in fat, sodium, and sugar, but these habits can have lasting consequences down the road. When poor health behaviors are adopted during young adulthood, it increases a person’s risk of developing chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes as well as bone and joint complications (CDC).
One way for students to get more fruits and vegetables is to shop at local farmer’s market. The market allows students to find the variety of fruits and vegetables that may not be available on campus or affordable at the grocery store. Fruits and vegetables such as apples, strawberries, peaches, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and more are great on-the-go snacks to grab before class. Making regular trips to a farmer’s market can help to ensure that students eat enough fruits and vegetables and can prevent poor health behaviors and their consequences later in life.
Locally, the College Park Farmer’s Market runs every Saturday, May through November, from 7:00am until Noon. The market offers a wide selection of seasonal fruits and vegetables as well as flowers, herbs, freshly baked breads, pastries and pies, and—beginning this season—fresh ground and brewed coffee!
Vendors from Miller Farms in Clinton, MD, Thanksgiving Farm in Frederick, MD, Uptown Bakers, Mildred’s Baked Goods, and several other independent vendors are among the local participants in the farmer’s market.
The market is located at 5211 Paint Branch Parkway, just a five-minute walk from the College Park Metro station. Students can take the 104 Shuttle to the metro station and walk East on Paint Branch Parkway, crossing River Road. The market will be on the right in parking lot of Herbert Wells Ice Rink/Ellen Linson Swimming Pool.
In addition to health benefits, buying fruits and vegetables at the farmer’s market…
1. Supports local farmers and the local economy
2. Creates community by allowing you to interact with community members and farmers.
3. Is affordable as a result of cutting out the middle man.
4. Provides you with fresher and better tasting produce.
5. Helps you keep in touch with the seasons, which means riper and less expensive choices.
6. Gives you a wide variety of produce from which to choose.
7. Helps to preserve local farmland.
8. Supports a sustainable society.
9. Provides more meaningful food choices.
10. Gives you an educational experience through learning where your food comes from.
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Stephanie Beauvais is a University of Baltimore graduate student studying Applied Psychology. She is currently taking Dr. Sharon Desmond's HLTH780 Community Health course.
10 good reasons to shop at a farmer's market!
ReplyDeleteWhen I realized that I was consuming an acid diet I started taking steps to become healthier.
As you say, eating more fruit and vegetables is great. If you make your own juices it's easier to consume much greater quantities.
Juicers themselves are a bit of an expense but you could view it as an investment in your own health.
I've always wanted to focus on eating healthier foods, but I always fail every time. I am having a hard time working out with discipline. No matter how much fruits and vegetables I keep, I still find time eating unhealthy foods.
ReplyDelete