Worthington Farmers Market: April 21

Feed Your Family Healthy Fare on a Budget

This week's newsletter comes from friend and customer of the Worthington Farmers Market, Maria Cannon.

image by: Pixabay

If you’re like many, food shopping for a family involves balancing budget concerns with trying to please, sometimes, picky people. And if you throw healthy eating into the mealtime mix, things can get even more complicated.

But it is possible to purchase and prepare tasty, good-for-you foods that will put your kids on a lifelong path to healthy eating without breaking the bank. Here are a few ideas to get you and your family started.

Stock up on Staples

Fill your pantry with inexpensive staples that can be used as the backbone for many meals. Whole-grain pasta and brown rice are a good place to start. Minimally processed quinoa and couscous are also versatile and can serve as side dishes or as key ingredients in main-dish soups, salads, stews and more.

Having some canned beans on hand is also a great idea for whipping up quick weeknight favorites such as burritos or black bean burgers. And, if you want to cut costs even further, opt for dried beans. Cook up a big batch in your slow cooker or pressure cooker and store them in the fridge or freezer for later use.

For additional tips on how to eat healthy while sticking to your budget, click here.

Embrace Meatless Mondays

Many kids aren’t big carnivores anyway, so why not give them what they want as long as they are getting enough protein and other nutrients from the foods they eat? In fact, a balanced vegetarian diet that includes dairy products and eggs can be healthy for adolescents who choose not to eat meat, according to KidsHealth. And children of all ages can enjoy well-balanced meatless meals, which are beneficial for both the body and the bank balance.

Whole-wheat pasta dishes, cheese and veggie mini pizzas on whole-wheat crust, or frittatas are all meatless meals that can be made kid-friendly. To get finicky eaters on board, try letting them select their own toppings or add-ins and helping you put together the finished product.

Skip the Supermarket

If your kids are reluctant vegetable eaters, consider shopping at the farmers’ market for fresh finds. Local farmers’ markets often have children's activities that celebrate the season and could help encourage kids to try new foods. Meeting the people who farmed fruits and vegetables they sell can also reinforce kids’ knowledge of the food chain, small-business practices and grassroots marketing.

With that in mind, don’t hesitate to explore the entire farmers’ market with your kids before buying anything. Seek out the vendors with the freshest food and lowest prices and don’t be afraid to ask for discounts when buying in bulk or making purchases near the end of the day. Most vendors would rather sell their wares for a little less than pack them up again. Also, shopping seasonally at the farmers’ market will likely yield the best deals and the best-tasting produce.

Get Growing

Trips to the farmers’ market may even inspire kids to start their own garden. If time and space is at a premium for you, start small with an indoor or container garden full of easy-to-grow herbs like chives and sweet basil. Or, if you have the patience and plot for an outdoor garden, opt for a mix of fast-maturing produce like lettuce and peas and slower-ripening options including tomatoes, peppers, and pumpkins to help sustain kids’ interest throughout the growing season, according to an article from Rodale’s Organic Life.

You can encourage healthy eating by planting some of your child’s favorite fruits and vegetables. Parents and caregivers might also be surprised at what kids are willing to try once they’ve invested a little sweat equity in getting food from the dirt to the dinner table.

So, if you’re trying to encourage healthy habits without causing a picky eater panic attack at mealtime a busted budget breakdown at the supermarket, try some of these strategies to save both cents -- and sanity.

The Worthington Farmers Market moves outdoors on May 5th

with a new start time of 8:00 AM. Mark your calendars!

#worthingtonfarmersmarket #wfm #weproduce #getfreshwithus

Market Sprouts is this Saturday 9am-12pm. We're

making the market fun for your little ones!

Our vendors for Saturday, April 21st include (in both alphabetical and numerical order):

1 Brown Bros. Farms, LLC 2 A Few Of My Favorite Things... 3 Native Cold Pressed 4 Stonefield Naturals 5 Black Radish Creamery 5.5 Dos Hermanos Taco Truck 6 Dan the Baker LLC 7 Blue Owl Garden Emporium LLC 8 Gourmet Candy by Karen 9 Colette & Frank's Gluten Free Goodness, LLC 10 Blue Jacket Dairy 11 Franklinton Farms 12 Flower Child Granola 13 Worthington Resource Pantry 14 SaraBee Pure Honey 15 bak 16 Sippel Family Farm/Kokoborrego Cheese 17 The Blueberry Patch 18 Ohiyo Chocolate 19 North Country Charcuterie 20 Kombu Tea Ramble Coffee Charqui Jerky Co. 21 The Market Sharpener 22 9N FARM 23 Sunny Meadows Flower Farm 24 VanScoy Farms 25 Golden Life Dog Food, LLC 26 Lucky Cat Bakery 27 Raven Rocks Initiatives 28 Mockingbird Meadows 29 Pleiades Maple Products 30 Chuck Evans' MONTEZUMA Brand Sauces & Salsas 31 Speckled Hen Farm Info 32 Spotted Salamander Soap Company, LLC 33 Ohio City Pasta 34 Michael's Artisan Chocolates LLC 35 Florentine's Legacy 36 Too Good Eats 37 KALEZEES Kale Chips 38 Hummavore 39 Simple Times Mixers 40 Sweet thing gourmet 41 Gillogly Orchard 42 Gillogly Orchard 43 Oink Moo Cluck Farms LLC 44 Silver Bridge Coffee Company 45 Dana Lee's Bakery & Catery 46 Jorgensen Farms 47 Kingdom Fish 48 The crazy cucumber 49 Fired Up Pizza 50 Mayhem Foods 51 Ohio Farm Direct 52 Allergy-free Bake Shop dba Soodles Bake Shop 53 Curly Tail Organic Farm 54 JNA BREAD BAKERY 55 Ohio Bison Farm 56 Honeyrun Farm 57 Rock Dove Farm

22 9N FARM 2 A Few Of My Favorite Things... 52 Allergy-free Bake Shop dba Soodles Bake Shop 15 bak 5 Black Radish Creamery 10 Blue Jacket Dairy 7 Blue Owl Garden Emporium LLC 1 Brown Bros. Farms, LLC Charqui Jerky Co. 30 Chuck Evans' MONTEZUMA Brand Sauces & Salsas 9 Colette & Frank's Gluten Free Goodness, LLC 53 Curly Tail Organic Farm 6 Dan the Baker LLC 45 Dana Lee's Bakery & Catery 5.5 Dos Hermanos Taco Truck 49 Fired Up Pizza 35 Florentine's Legacy 12 Flower Child Granola 11 Franklinton Farms 41 Gillogly Orchard 42 Gillogly Orchard 25 Golden Life Dog Food, LLC 8 Gourmet Candy by Karen 56 Honeyrun Farm 38 Hummavore 54 JNA BREAD BAKERY 46 Jorgensen Farms 37 KALEZEES Kale Chips 47 Kingdom Fish 20 Kombu Tea 26 Lucky Cat Bakery 50 Mayhem Foods 34 Michael's Artisan Chocolates LLC 28 Mockingbird Meadows 3 Native Cold Pressed 19 North Country Charcuterie 55 Ohio Bison Farm 33 Ohio City Pasta 51 Ohio Farm Direct 18 Ohiyo Chocolate 43 Oink Moo Cluck Farms LLC 29 Pleiades Maple Products Ramble Coffee 27 Raven Rocks Initiatives 57 Rock Dove Farm 14 SaraBee Pure Honey 44 Silver Bridge Coffee Company 39 Simple Times Mixers 16 Sippel Family Farm/Kokoborrego Cheese 31 Speckled Hen Farm 32 Spotted Salamander Soap Company, LLC 4 Stonefield Naturals 23 Sunny Meadows Flower Farm 40 Sweet thing gourmet 17 The Blueberry Patch 48 The crazy cucumber 21 The Market Sharpener 36 Too Good Eats 24 VanScoy Farms 13 Worthington Resource Pantry Info

Our Musical Entertainment sponsored by The Market Sharpener: Columbus Folk Music Society

Join us this Saturday, and every Saturday from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm inside The Shops at Worthington Place!

For more information, or questions related to any of our services, please contact us via email at worthingtonfarmersmarket@gmail.com. See you at the market!

The Worthington Farmers Market is an event of the Old Worthington Partnership.