Nutrition: How Can we do Better?
Nutrition: Good for the Soul, and the Body
Finding foods with high nutritional value is key in a healthy diet. Under all of the labels on conventional food, often times there is a product whose growth has been accelerated by hormones or pesticides. Covering foods in pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics can create a food product with less nutritional value than other organic foods. Knowing this is essential in picking a diet that fits what you do. On top of physical development, a healthy diet promotes the development of the brain. Finding fresh, organic food can help you get more nutrients than you would with a more 'normal' diet of foods like pizza and sodas. Fresh food has been shown to be grown in a way that is less harmful to the environment than conventional food. They use no pesticides or growth accelerators other than what is naturally available. On top of this, buying fresh generally supports local businesses, which we will cover in the next section
Buying Local: Helping our Community Prosper
By buying from and supporting local businesses, we can help our community grow and prosper. This is a result of spending money in the area, which keeps jobs in the small businesses that supply and sell the local food. If we spend our money on foods that were grown far away, people in our community may lose their money or even their jobs. Furthermore, places like the farmer's market generally have items for sale at a cheaper price than traditional big stores. This is because they get their materials locally, and this eliminates shipping cost. Finally, by buying and selling locally, we help Dubuque become less dependent on other communities.