The NOLA Locavore’s monthlong Eat Local Challenge kicks off this week, with the goal of eating mostly – or at least more – foods that are grown, caught or raised within 200 miles. Emphasizing more locally sourced foods benefits our community, economy and the environment, and it also means more of a focus on whole, unprocessed foods – giving us that extra incentive to reduce our intake of pre-packaged convenience foods.
“Eating local” isn’t always as simple as it may seem, however; many of our locally made products don’t fit the technical definition of “local.” ICONIC, for example, is a locally owned protein drink, but the ingredients aren’t sourced locally. Same goes for locally made chocolate or locally roasted coffee: they may be produced in New Orleans, but the beans themselves aren’t actually grown here.
So focusing on the “grown, caught, or raised within 200 miles” part of the challenge can make it just that – a challenge.
This is my fifth year to take the Eat Local Challenge, and over the years, I’ve found a few key strategies that make it easier for me to eat mostly local, without feeling like I’m spending way too much time thinking about it, or putting an insane amount of time into planning and preparation.
For this to be sustainable (especially beyond just the June challenge), I need it to be something that fits into my lifestyle, which often means portable options for when I’m on the road, and meals and snacks that don’t always require a lot of prep time.
So for starters, to keep things realistic, I always opt for the second tier of the challenge, the “Strict” level. (The Eat Local Challenge is divided into four tiers that range from Ultra Strict, 100 percent local food and drink, to Ultra Lenient – you’re at least thinking more about eating local, and incorporating several locally-sourced foods throughout week).
This second tier allows for three non-local foods to be a part of our daily diet, so we can keep some of those (seemingly) non-negotiables that aren’t local (my non-local daily staples include coffee, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and a plant-based protein powder).
To prepare for the challenge, my first stop is the farmers market (there’s a market open most days, and Hollygrove Market and Farm is open seven days a week) to stock up on key ingredients to keep on hand:
Eggs for omelets and for egg salad made with local yogurt. I also keep a batch of hard-boiled eggs in the fridge for part of a grab-and-go breakfast or snack.
Cheese like local goat cheese to crumble over salads or veggies, as well as harder cheeses to slice into chunks for portable snacks.
Yogurt is my go-to substitute for mayo or sour cream. Strain it (with cheesecloth in a colander overnight in the fridge) to make your own local Greek-style yogurt; use the probiotic-rich run-off liquid for smoothies.
Seafood that’s locally sourced is easy to find in most grocery stores, and check farmers markets for local chicken and lean beef.
Vegetables and fresh fruits are among the easiest local ingredients to find. Just be flexible with your shopping list, and let the selection at the market guide what you end up bringing home.
Pecans are an easy quick snack, and it’s super-easy to make pecan butter as a local substitute for peanut butter or almond butter: just blend 1 1/2 cups of pecans (raw or lightly roasted) with a tablespoon of pecan oil and a pinch of salt (optional) in a food processor until smooth.
Pecan oil is my local answer to olive oil. It has a high smoke point, so it also works well for sautéed foods. You can find it at local markets like Hollygrove Market and Farm, as well as local grocery stores like Rouses.
Soda Stream. It’s obviously not a farmer’s market find, nor is it even close to being a necessity for eating local. But if you’re like me, and you love carbonated drinks, the Soda Stream can help to satisfy the craving for carbonation without store-bought drinks like La Croix sparkling water or diet soft drinks.
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A typical day during the Eat Local Challenge looks something like this: Veggie omelet for breakfast (or a couple of hard-boiled eggs and fresh berries if I’m pressed for time), mid-morning snack of strained Greek-style local yogurt, Creamy Chicken and Blueberry Salad (see recipe below) over local greens for lunch, afternoon snack of pecan nut butter and fresh fruit, dinner of grilled fish, veggies, and a salad, and an evening snack of local berries blended with my (non-local) protein powder and almond milk.
The Eat Local Challenge crew provides plenty of resources at EatLocalNOLA.org to make it as easy as possible to eat local, including a shopping guide to locally sourced foods, as well as classes and tours.
It’s even easy to keep it local when dining out: More than 60 restaurants are participating in the Eat Local Challenge, serving up at least one menu item centered on local ingredients.
Our Eat Fit NOLA team at Ochsner’s Elmwood Fitness Center works closely with the Eat Local Challenge; about 15 Eat Fit NOLA restaurants are offering dishes that are both Eat Fit + Eat Local approved. If you’re looking for good-for-you recipes that are also local, our Eat Fit NOLA team has developed nearly 70 Eat Fit + Eat Local recipes. Find full restaurant and recipe details online at EatLocalNOLA.org, and on the free Fit NOLA|Eat Fit NOLA smartphone app.
Here’s a sneak peak at a few of this year’s Eat Fit + Eat Local dishes:
Blue Line Sandwich Co.
- Kale Caesar Salad | local kale, toasted almonds, garlic croutons, shredded reggiano parmesan
- Avocado & Heirloom Tomato Salad | field lettuce, chévre and citrus-poppy vinaigrette
- Crab Louie Salad | Louisiana crab meat, romaine, avocado, tomato, chopped eggs, house-made rémoulade
Breads on Oak
- Organic Locally Sprouted Tofu & Veggie Quiche
Commander’s Palace
- Griddle Seared Gulf Fish | green asparagus, Louisiana soybeans, leeks, sweet corn, grilled kale and soft herbs with watercress and a purée of crushed lemon & garden peas
Café Adelaide:
- Smoked Redfish Salad | chilled and grilled over red onions, cucumbers, shaved radish, fennel & mirliton with tender greens, lemon Creole cream cheese, basil vinaigrette and Gulf shrimp “firecrackers”
Café Degas
- Sautéed Louisiana Jumbo Shrimp | cilantro black bean cake over baby greens with cherry tomatoes, garnished with avocado puree
- La Salad au Crab | jumbo Lafitte lump crabmeat, shaved fennel, baby arugula, grapefruit, mint, crispy shallots, tarragon vinaigrette
Dakota
- Whole Roasted Gulf Fish | chardonnay fumet, jumbo lump crabmeat, spring onion, and heirloom tomato salad; charred pickled corn
Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse
- Seared Crab Cake | Louisiana jumbo lump crabmeat, white ravigote, roasted corn sauce
- Tarragon Crab Claws | local blue crab claws, house-made tarragon vinaigrette
HK NOLA
- Crumb Crusted Drum | crumb crusted puppy drum with garden pesto, seasonal vegetables, and spiralized zucchini noodles
- Super Rolls | two rice paper rolls stuffed with smoked sweet potatoes, sprouts, kale salad, quinoa, almonds and house-made chili sauce
La Thai Uptown
- Redfish Filet | pecan-crusted redfish, pan sautéed and topped with jumbo lump crabmeat, served with sautéed spinach and lemon basil garlic butter
SoBou
- Caribbean Style Shrimp Salad | cilantro, lime and coconut marinated shrimp, grilled avocados, baby greens and shaved Vidalia onions with Tabasco & Puerto Rican rum infused pineapple
Ye Olde College Inn
- Eat Fit Gulf Fish | grilled fresh fish served with farm fresh vegetables
Zea Rotisserie & Grill
- Seared Tuna Salad | fresh Gulf yellowfin tuna seared with Asian seasoning, served over romaine hearts, shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, marinated cucumbers, basil, cilantro, sesame seeds, with a no-sugar-added Thai vinaigrette
- Seasonal Gulf Fish | grilled or bronzed filet with choice of two Z-Lightful sides including steamed broccoli, sauteed spinach, and grilled asparagus
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With just a few key ingredient swaps, any standard chicken salad recipe can be made-over into an all-local creamy chicken salad.
Local Creamy Chicken & Blueberry Salad
Makes 6 servings
1- 1/2 cups plain yogurt
2 tablespoons Steen’s cane vinegar
Dash of salt
2 pounds grilled chicken breast, diced
3/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted
2 cups fresh blueberries
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
In a bowl, combine yogurt, vinegar, and salt. In a separate large bowl, add the chicken, pecans, blueberries, and celery. Stir in yogurt dressing until well-combined. Serve chilled.
Per serving: 330 calories, 14 grams fat, 1.8 grams saturated fat, 245 mg sodium, 11 grams carbohydrate, 2.5 grams fiber, 7.5 grams sugar, 40 grams protein.
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Molly Kimball is a registered dietitian in New Orleans. She can be reached at eatingright@nola.com. Comment and read more atNOLA.com/eat-drink. Follow her on Facebook: http://ift.tt/1w2P3PY and Twitter: http://twitter.com/mollykimballrd.
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