Tomatoes, Peppers, and Melons, Oh My! How I Am Eating Healthier (Sponsored) #FarmToPlate

Disclosure: I was invited by Monsanto to go on a trip to Woodland as a member of their Farm to Plate Blogger Panel. This is a recap of my experience during the trip and contains my opinions which has not in any way been compromised by my relationship with the brand.

Let me start this post off with some honesty. I began the year as many others did, resolving to eat healthier and take better care of myself. For the first few months, I stuck to this goal. Over time, however, I waned and began adopting my old habits. It wasn’t until my recent trip to Woodland where I came in contact with fresh fruits and veggies that I began to feel some kind of way. How can you be amongst all the goodness that Mother Nature has to offer and not refocus?

During my latest trek to Northern California, I got the opportunity firsthand to learn how our produce is grown and how important it is to our food supply. Seeing tomatoes, peppers, squash, and watermelon go from seed to harvest in a complete circle of life, eating healthier became a priority. There is so much hard work that goes into getting our food from farm to table.

While I visited Woodland last year (you can read about my experience here), visiting a second time gave me a different perspective. If I want to be a good steward of my body (and help my daughter establish good habits), eating healthier must be on the menu.

Fellow Blogger Panelist Natasha of Houseful of Nicholes getting it just right for the ‘Gram.

I became a fan of melons during this trip. I didn’t like them before, but after tasting them at Woodland, I am now in love.

The hotter the pepper, the better.

While in this produce paradise, I recommitted myself to eating more fruits and vegetables as a part of a balance diet. I am sharing my Healthy Manifesto below:

• I will visit a local farmer’s market biweekly to obtain fresh(er) fruits and veggies
• Cook with more locally sourced proteins
• Menu plan a week ahead to help me make better choices
• Shop for certain fruits and veggies while they are in-season
• Utilize healthy recipes online and in cookbooks

For busy working parents, it may take a little more effort to make sure that we are preparing healthy meals regularly for the fam. I’d like to think that with this manifesto, it will help me stay focused. It will also help motivate me to provide a healthier template.

I will be sharing my quest for better overall health and wellness right here on my blog as a member of the Farm to Plate Blogger Panel. While Monsanto is a controversial topic to many, I long for a better understanding of our food and how to can continue to harvest for future generations to come.

Here’s to eating healthier and keeping fresh fruits and veggies at the top of my food list.