Eat Green, Be Healthy

How to Eat Green

Sara Snow was born to be eco. The host of Get Fresh with Sara Snow for the Discovery Network was raised in a solar-energy-heated house in Michigan eating fresh, locally grown produce (much of it from her family's organic vegetable garden) way before it became trendy to do so. "My father was one of the pioneers of the natural-foods movement, so eating healthy, clean food was a way of life growing up," says Sara, 32. Which explains why she is now a huge advocate of shopping at the local farmers' market. "Chances are, a tomato at your supermarket was picked long before it was ripe so it wouldn't turn to mush during the 1,500-mile trip from the farm to the store," she explains. A tomato at a farm stand was likely picked that morning. "The food you get there tastes better, and you can talk to the person who grew it," Sara says.

A few questions to ask: "Do you spray chemicals on your crops?" (Many farms don't apply for organic certification by the U.S. Department of Agriculture because of the amount of red tape involved. But if they avoid pesticides, their produce is basically organically grown.) "Is your beef grass-fed, or do you feed your cows a grain mix?" (Research suggests that meat from grass-fed cows is higher in good-for-you omega-3 fats than that from corn-fed cows.) "As you get to know your local farmers, there will be a few whose food you appreciate and enjoy," Sara says. "Once you've found them, buy all that you can!"