One cannot think well, love well, sleep well,
if one has not dined well.
– Virginia Woolf
On January 1, as part of our annual family tradition, I bake corn bread in a cast iron skillet to serve with black-eyed peas and collards. It’s our way of welcoming good health and prosperity to the New Year. For this year’s batch I used Alabama King® Fine Ground Corn Meal, a brand long favored by my mother-in-law. As I was putting away the bag of corn meal, I noticed a phrase on the package advocating users to EAT BETTER, LIVE LONGER. It seemed like sound advice to kick off a new year, food packaging wisdom for a new decade.
Eating better food seems like an obvious path to wellness. But how we each interpret wellness when it comes to our food options varies from person to person. For some, eating better may translate to high-protein, low-carbohydrate meals, while other people focus on a plant-based diet. And for many members of our society, eating better means having more (or any) access to fresh food.
The Wellness issue takes a look at the role food plays in the health of individuals, our community and the environment. We examine how food insecurity – the lack of access to sufficient quantities of nutritious, affordable food – affects the well-being of our whole community and programs underway to address this challenge. Looking for local eateries offering some of the latest foods for healthy eating? We have some suggestions to get you started toward new culinary discoveries.
If taking more vitamins and supplements is part of this year’s health-consciousness, head to page 32 and read about the environmental impacts of staying well. Are you sober curious? Read why a night out doesn’t always include a hangover the next morning, as local bars and restaurants offer more alcohol-free options. Want to add some new, healthy dishes to your home cooking? We’ve got you covered, along with a DIY on making herbal tinctures and an introduction to elderberry. And we take a tour of a local farm and group home created with the well-being of its residents in mind.
These pages contain a small sampling of the definition of wellness in our region. We hope this issue serves as a catalyst to explore the myriad other ways businesses and organizations are building a healthy local community. Let us hear about your pursuit of well-being – be sure to tag us on social media @edibleneflorida.
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STORIES & RECIPES FROM THE WELLNESS ISSUE
Joining Forces Against Food Insecurity in Northeast Florida
Healthy Food Trends on Local Menus
The Environmental Impact of Personal Wellness
Peace of Heart Community
Spirit Free Cocktails: Making Room for Everyone at the Bar
Making Herbal Tinctures
The Healing Power of Elderberry
Elderberry Gummy Bears
Heirloom Tomato Tart
Sprout Kitchen's Macro Bowl
Red Cabbage Nori Rolls
Lost Skills: Making Natural Sunblock
Looking for an all-natural way to protect your skin during a day at the beach? Tribe Apothecary shared one of their...
All-Purpose Refrigerator Pickling Brine
It’s nearly impossible to mess these up, so don’t be afraid to play around by adding a garlic clove, dried chile, a...
How to Make Natural Egg Dyes
Use common food ingredients for a more natural approach to giving your eggs a pop of color.
Growing a Salad Bowl Container Garden
No room for a garden? No problem. Grow everything you need for a salad in just one container.
Juice Pulp Crackers
Don't throw away that juicing pulp! Instead, make it into a delicious and nutritious snack.
5 Easy Recipes to Reduce Food Waste
Looking for ways to use food scraps destined for the trash or compost bin? Try these recipe ideas to reduce food waste...
