Today was a perfect example of how difficult eating locally can be. I began the day with no breakfast because there isn't a lot you can eat on the run. I always wake up late - definitely my fault, but still a factor in eating locally. Then I was attending a lunch during the day, but could not eat there because the food was not local. I packed a lunch last night and ate it in the car. It was a bagel, yogurt with granola, fruit leather, and chocolate milk. It was good, but a little messy to eat in the car.
Then I had to work. Most of the time I am good about planning what to eat, but if not, I normally just eat a frozen dinner or eat at Macy's. Unfortunately, I was running out of time between the lunch and heading to work. I needed to eat before work because I would not get off until 9pm. I reheated mashed potatoes and ate a yogurt. It was fine, but kind of a strange combination for dinner. After work I ate Minnesota Creamery ice cream.
For me, eating locally does not mean eating healthily (as you can see from my day... did I eat much besides starch?). It also does not mean eating organically. Eating only locally grown food has a different goal than both healthy and organic eating. Local saves the environment rather than your body. Healthy and organic save your body rather than the environment.
It has surprised me how unhealthy eating locally is at times. This week I have had close to no Vitamin C, I have had carbohydrates out of this world, and have had little balance in my diet. Eating locally forces you to plan ahead for your meals. This normally means healthy and better meals, but for me, I have found there isn't always enough time or energy to plan and cook every meal. It has not forced me to eat my fruit and vegetables; it has done quite the opposite.
I am feeling somewhat discouraged in my challenge to eat locally; somehow I don't have the drive it would take to eat locally all the time. I know if I were more passionate I would have more endurance and patience with this diet, but right now I'm feeling tired and hungry.
One viewpoint I have on the project is that you are being a sort of 'pioneer'. Not in the sense that you are the very first person in the world to do this, but you are certainly one of -- if not THE -- first person in your circle to do this. And, pioneers typically have lonely and in many cases difficult lives. That's a part of what you are experiencing: it seems that in Minneapolis in late winter good, locally grown food is just not very available. But by you giving voice to this idea perhaps you will get some momentum going for it.
ReplyDeleteThis forces you to make a decision as to the relative import of what you are doing. In this regard, I thought your observations on your own framework and what was important to you were quite interesting. I can see that if something is both difficult and not compelling personally a person sure would NOT continue it very long!