Good fruit and vegetables are at the heart of healthy cuisine and all health experts and nutritionists are in agreement that we need to eat more fruit and vegetables: 5 a day (3 veg and 2 fruit) is the standard set by the WHO but the National Cancer Organisation in the US has gone a step further and recommends 5 a day for children, 7 a day for women and teenage girls (4 veg and 3 fruit) and 9 a day for men and teenage boys (5 veg and 4 fruit). This is so that you will half your changes of getting cancer.

Local Produce

If you can get it locally it is better. Local produce is usually cheaper and tastier and it is good to support the local industry. Locally grown food is also more nutritious than food that has been flown in from another country. Fruit and veg for export has often been picked before ripe and kept chilled to avoid spoilage so this means they fail to develop the complex flavours and nutritional compounds available in food that has been allowed to ripen naturally. That's why we often say, 'Dik ta' Malta u t'toma ahjar' (that's Maltese grown and tastes better). The other major reason why one should by locally grown food is to avoid contributing to pollution which is a result of tne long distance transportation of food. I am a great supporter of local initiatives and agriculture produce and we should take advantage of the many different varieties of the produce we have our farmers producing and working hard for.

Should organic produce be available it is worth trying out but any fruit or vegetable is grown according to legal trading standards and so even where pesticides are used they have been the ones which have been approved to be safe for human consumption. Obviously whether organic or non-organic, these should always be washed thoroughly before using because of the risk of microbial contamination or pesticide use. Obviously organic grown produce is beneficial in support biodiversity, animal welfare, sustainable growth patterns and soil health.

So my message today is see what is locally in season and go for that primarily - it will be cheaper and fresher so more nutritious, tastier and minimises on pollution. Don't refrain from asking your green grocer 'X'hawn bhalissa ta' Malta?' (What's available right now from local produce?). He will definately be able to tell you.

Karen