Slow food

I recently read a brief spot from Dr. Weil in regard to the Slow Food Movement. As you know, I'm a slow food advocate. My goal is always to pick slow over fast and if not slow, "medium." What I liked about the article was its three suggestions on how to practice the Slow Food Movement and thought it worthy of sharing here. The suggestions are simple and easy for anyone to adopt.

1. Shop for fresh, organically grown local produce and baked goods at farmers' markets.
2. Patronize restaurants that specialize in local or regional foods.
3. Keep family traditions alive. Think about the foods your grandparents prepared for holidays or family gatherings, and try to replicate what you can.

Three fantastic steps to eating slower. Number one can challenge the budget but with practice, you can learn to prioritize and likely make it work. Especially by brushing up on what you can skip buying organic if you need to. Depending on where you live, number two can offer lots of options or not a lot of options. We've found only one restaurant in our area that serves local food. But I'm certain I could find a few more if I take the time. As for number three, who doesn't want to keep family traditions alive? It's so much fun and a wonderful thing to pass down. It's still a work in progress but making my mom's enchiladas has been a project of mine for a very long time. Making them with grass-fed beef from a local ranch and using local and organic onions only adds to the pleasure of eating them.

I feel strongly about making the effort to eat slower and showing my children the importance of the Slow Food principles. It takes discipline. The stress of the day can make us vulnerable to giving in to a fast food meal but just like anything else, planning ahead is key. And if you didn't plan ahead, as I often don't, knowing what and where you can go to get something decent in a pinch will keep you and the family on track.