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riley shaia spinach health benefits

Spinach is good for your brain, too …

EAT BETTER LIVE BETTER NEWSLETTER / March 28,2018

Tips, hacks, recipes, stories, and the weekly special all help you eat better live better with fresh local food!

...AND OTHER COOL SPINACH FACTS

Vintage cartoon fans can probably quote Popeye the Sailor Man’s famous line from memory: “I’m good to the finn-ich cause I eat my spinach!” A whole generation of kids grew up thinking they would be stronger if they ate spinach.

Spinach offers amazing health benefits. It’s rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These good things are associated with boosting immunity, lowering blood pressure, fighting the causes of cancer, reducing inflammation, easing constipation and ulcers, and supporting good vision, healthier skin, and stronger bones. It may even ...

Find out more from Riley about spinach storage, history and benefit below, or view this issue as a printable PDF with clickable links.

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whole grains grat harvest bread co

Does freshness matter in whole grains?

EAT BETTER LIVE BETTER NEWSLETTER / March 21,2018

Tips, hacks, recipes, stories, and the weekly special all help you eat better live better with fresh local food!

THIS LOCAL BAKER GRINDS WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR DAILY. IS IT WORTH THE TROUBLE?

Two of our most popular breads are the honey whole wheat and the 9-grain from Great Harvest Bread Company in Mechanicsville, Va. We wanted to know: Does whole grain have to be fresh to be good, the way produce does? The minute veggies and fruits are harvested and exposed to air, light, and heat, they start losing their vitamins. Does the same thing apply to whole grains?

In their unmilled seed form, grains are designed to last at least until next year’s planting. The thing is, once you grind those whole grains into flour...

Find out more about grains and baking bread from June, owner and head baker at Great Harvest, below, or view this issue as a printable PDF with clickable links.

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humane farming

Humane farming is good for humans too. Here’s why.

EAT BETTER LIVE BETTER NEWSLETTER / March 14,2018

Tips, hacks, recipes, stories, and the weekly special all help you eat better live better with fresh local food!

LOTS OF PASTURE AND NO PESTICIDES, ANTIBIOTICS, HORMONES, OR GMO'S AT THIS LOCAL FARM

Out of the six kids in the Avery’s Branch Farms family, Oliver is the one in charge of their pasture-raised chickens. The family also raises cows and pigs. With support from Seasonal Roots and other Virginia families and restaurants, their farm has really grown. Their chicken flock has grown from five hens and a rooster to 3,800 hens. The egg business is now big enough for 24-year-old Oliver to launch (cue the drumroll…) AUTHENTICITY FARMS!

Even as the flock has grown, Oliver’s commitment to his family’s humane farming practices has remained the same...

Learn the difference between cage-free, free-range, and pasture-raised below, or view this issue as a printable PDF with clickable links.

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kids healthy snacks

The guide to kids healthy snacks

EAT BETTER LIVE BETTER NEWSLETTER / February 21,2018

Tips, hacks, recipes, stories, and the weekly special all help you eat better live better with fresh local food!

THIS IS HOW YOU GET KIDS TO MAKE GOOD SNACK CHOICES LIKE THESE!

After Beth joined Seasonal Roots, she grabbed this snapshot of her son posing with green pepper slices and cherry tomatoes.

“My son just came home from school and these were HIS choice of snack!” Beth reported. “In the past he would go for something in the pantry. He loves the fresh veggies as much as I do!”

The average American kid snacks three times a day, and chips, candy, and other junk foods...

For tips on kids and healthy snacks, continue reading below, or view this issue as a printable PDF with clickable links.

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sustainable farmers compost

4 Reasons to support sustainable farmers

EAT BETTER LIVE BETTER NEWSLETTER / February 21,2018

Tips, hacks, recipes, stories, and the weekly special all help you eat better live better with fresh local food!

ALL 4 REASONS MAKE YOUR LIFE BETTER!

Sustainable farmers give you four excellent reasons to support them:
#1 More nutritious food
#2 A safer environment
#3 Happier animals
#4 Healthier communities

But what is sustainable farming and how does it produce all those happy, healthy results? Well, the USDA defines sustainable agriculture as...

Continue learning about sustainable farming below, or view this issue as a printable PDF with clickable links.

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heart healthy food

Heart healthy food

EAT BETTER LIVE BETTER NEWSLETTER / February 21,2018

Tips, hacks, recipes, stories, and the weekly special all help you eat better live better with fresh local food!

THIS MONTH, GET IN THE HABIT OF SHOWING YOUR HEART SOME LOVE WITH LOCAL FOOD

American Heart Month is the perfect time to start getting in the habit of keeping heart healthy food on hand. That way whipping up a heart-healthy meal or snack for you and your family is easy and delicious.

Local food is a big part of it, so we've got 9 local food suggestions for you from the American Heart Association and the Cleveland Clinic.

Watch for these fresh, local foods in your online farmers market -- some are available year-round, some seasonally. If you put a few of the foods on this list in your Seasonal Roots basket each week, your heart...

Continue reading the 9 local food suggestions below, or view this issue as a printable PDF with clickable links.

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probiotics prebiotics

Give your gut a Valentine

EAT BETTER LIVE BETTER NEWSLETTER / February 14, 2018

Tips, hacks, recipes, stories, and the weekly special all help you eat better live better with fresh local food!

BOOST GUT HEALTH WITH LOCAL FOOD RICH IN PROBIOTICS & PREBIOTICS

What are probiotics? Most are “good” bacteria, and once they’re ingested, they set up housekeeping in your digestive tract. These beneficial micro-organisms are believed to help you digest your food properly and may protect you from harmful bacteria that cause disease.

Prebiotics are nondigestible carbohydrates that act as…

Continue reading about probiotics below, or view this issue as a printable PDF with clickable links.

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local family farmers

Love your local family farmers

EAT BETTER LIVE BETTER NEWSLETTER / February 7, 2018

Tips, hacks, recipes, stories, and the weekly special all help you eat better live better with fresh local food!

GET TO KNOW ONE OF THE FAMILIES WHO FEED YOUR FAMILY

Well, it’s February, and thanks to Valentine’s Day, this is a month that’s all about love and relationships. That perfectly describes how we feel about our farmers and food artisans – we’re falling in love with fresher, more nutritious and tasty local food, and building relationships with the people who grow and make it.
Last week we all got to know Tracy of Yummvees, one of our newest food artisans and maker of vegan meals, desserts, and snacks. This week, we’d like to introduce you to one of our longtime, old school family farmers – Chris of Deer Run Farm.

Continue reading Chris’ story below, or view this issue as a printable PDF with clickable links.

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vegan meals

Out of tragedy, a vegan dream is born

EAT BETTER LIVE BETTER NEWSLETTER / January 31, 2018

Tips, hacks, recipes, stories, and the weekly special all help you eat better live better with fresh local food!

YUMMVEES VEGAN MEALS & TREATS COME TO SEASONAL ROOTS

You don’t have to be vegan to appreciate 100% plant-based food from Yummvees. It’s local, family-run, and creates vegan meals, desserts, and snacks so delicious that the nutritious, eco-friendly part is like icing on the cinnamon bun! The meals are ready-to-heat, so you don’t have to sacrifice nutrition when you’re too busy to cook.

But first we want to introduce you to Tracy, the woman behind Yummvees…

Continue reading about Yummvees below, or view this issue as a printable PDF with clickable links.

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good olive oil

The secret to really good olive oil

EAT BETTER LIVE BETTER NEWSLETTER / January 24, 2018

Tips, hacks, recipes, stories, and the weekly special all help you eat better live better with fresh local food!

HOW TO SPOT IT, STORE IT & WHY IT MATTERS

Using a really good olive oil matters because it’s as good for you as it is delicious. It fights inflammation and osteoporosis, reduces the risk of cancer and diabetes, protects against depression… and the list goes on…

Continue reading tips on good olive oil below, or view this issue as a printable PDF with clickable links.

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