' Why do you use acronyms I don't know? '

Like text talk and everything technological, it's easy to become so familiar with a topic that it's second nature, and anyone who doesn't know what you're talking about has a third head. But that's not productive and certainly not what I (Emily) wish for anyone navigating this green and delicious world. So, what is a CSA? Well, if the above picture is no indication, a CSA is a Community Supported Agriculture. And it is ahhhhhmazing. How you ask? Well, a customer pays - normally a weekly amount or discounted bundle of weeks - and the CSA returns with delicious, locally grown (sometimes even organic if chosen) produce in abundance. The picture above is half of what my mom and I got in this week's box -- and it's a box for two! As the summer tumbles along, you'll see more squash, tomatoes, fresh blueberries, and all that seasonal produce we love to love. And normally, a good CSA goes all year round. Meaning that the freshest, most delicious and seasonally appropriate goodies are sitting in a box waiting for you to pick up (or have dropped off), ready to be made into delicious recipes.

BENNIES of a CSA BOX - some, not all. I don't have all day.

budget friendly
supports local business
means less toxins and harmful preservatives in your body
a surprise every week that tastes good and makes you feel great
meeting new people when picking the box up having them recognize your face and give you things you love just for fun & free is the best feeling
having a varied diet important for a great total nutrition profile - think: all your vitamins and minerals
more and more every day as we learn that fresh is best and local is grand

Check with your local CSA, but boxes are usually a flat rate - read: not by pound - so you can get a heck of a lot of produce in the height of the season. I don't think we pay more than $30 for our box a week (even cheaper when we payed up front), and aside from my needs of bananas, almond butter, and chocolate, that's basically it for the week. So even if you spent an extra $20 on items of necessity for your body and nutrition satisfaction, you're only looking at around $50 a week. If that. How often do you eat out or order in? How much does that cost you typically? Do you really know how fresh those ingredients are when they arrive? The average American eats out 4-5 times a week and can spend $250 a month on those meals alone. Just those. That doesn't include the additional amount to make the 16 other meals. And if it's just refined and processed foods, they aren't really keeping you full and satisfied and are sucking your budget dry. Lose, lose.

My favorite part of getting a new CSA box is looking up fun new recipes to put all the produce to work. Sometimes I'll batch cook, prepping foods for the whole week by roasting or making large quantities of the same recipe, but most of the time, especially in the summer, I'll leave it fresh and waiting to be sliced and thrown into a yummy salad or stir-fry. Fresh fruits and veggies draw toxins out of the body, support a healthy metabolism and brain function, and help keep a nurtured and wholesome physique. Win, win, win! Find your local CSA, here. And if you live in Wilmington, check out the Veggie Wagon in Carolina Beach -- that's where I go, and I couldn't fangirl about them more.

If you're interested in support around a wholesome, natural, and plant-based lifestyle while finding foods that fuel you and keep you energized, I invite you to work with me and sign up for a free health consultation.