Healthy Fruit and Veg

When you were growing up, being told to eat your greens was something that you heard over and over again. While at the time we might not have realised how important fresh fruit and vegetables are in any diet, most people come to appreciate healthy foods later in life. But what makes fruit and veg so important? This article looks at the benefits and suggests way you can get the best out of them.

Probably the most important reason you should include more fruits and vegetables in your diet is that they are a great source of different vitamins and minerals, which help you to stay healthy and aid your immune system. You get all the essential food ingredients including fiber, foliate, potassium and vitamin A and C from fruit and vegetables. Vitamin A keeps your eyes and skin healthy and protects you from infections. Vitamin C assists our bodies to heal cuts and wounds and keeps our teeth and gums healthy. Fruit and vegetables are also a great source of natural oils, which are naturally low in fat, and fiber is helpful for the heart and intestines.

Purely from a practical perspective, fruit and vegetables can be good to have in your diet because they require less cooking. The large majority can be eaten raw, and this actually has health benefits as well. 

That said, the places and way in which you buy your fruit and vegetables also needs to be a consideration. Some large supermarkets stock frozen vegies, which drastically reduces the goodness you get out of them. You also need to be weary that many suppliers use different types of preservatives and artificial chemicals to keep the fruits and vegetables fresh and bright, not to mention the farmers that use harmful pesticides to protect their crops from insects.

This can compromise the quality of the fruit and vegetables, meaning they don’t offer the health benefits they should, and in some cases, might cause you more harm than good. You should also take a look at the packaging of the fruit vegetable delivery shops since they help to preserve their quality.  So it’s really important that you purchase fruit and vegetables from wholesalers that you know provide the best quality and freshest produce from around the country.  

The Market Runners stock the highest quality, pesticide-free fruit and vegies and we buy from trusted producers. We stand by the quality of our produce and if you are not completely satisfied we will happily refund your order. Visit our website and have delicious fruit and veg delivered to your door!

Fresh Fruit Delivery in Melbourne

Considering the number of advantages gained from the consumption of fruit and how good it tastes, there it’s no wonder why it’s one of Australia’s most favourite foods. The mere fact that fruits contain a lot of vitamins and minerals that are essential to the body has made the demand for fruit increasingly high. While some people are capable of growing some of the fruit needed in their garden, most people rely on retailers.

People are also very busy with work, family and other commitments, and sometimes they simply can’t find the time to shop. This has resulted in an increase in the number of fruit delivery service providers in Melbourne over the past few years. 

The Market Runners are one such delivery specialists. All our clients have to do is jump onto our website and order the foods they want delivered on a once-off, weekly or fortnightly basis. We handle the rest!

Since most fruits are very delicate and can easily be damaged, it is important for all fruit delivery services to ensure that they take adequate measures to protect the fruit while ensuring its freshness. Many farmers use pesticides and other preservatives to do this, however we are all about promoting healthy and environmentally friendly produce. We avoid suppliers that add harmful additives and we support farmers that engage in methods that observe the interests of animals. 

Most of these businesses order online and cover a variety of areas within the state. Therefore, if you are in Melbourne and in need of a fruit delivery, all you need to do is log on to the internet and place your order with the company of your choice and it will be promptly delivered – fresh from Australian Farmers.

There’s Nothing Free About Gluten Free!

There’s no such thing as a gluten free lunch…unless of course you live in Italy, Finland, England or New Zealand it seems. During a chat with The Staple Store owner, Catherine Gett, I learnt for the first time that some countries actually subsidise gluten free sufferers for the higher cost of their food expenses. Although some might deem it an ‘in’ or healthy option, for others being gluten free or coeliac is not a choice but a reality. It’s no different to having diabetes or any other condition or illness. Unfortunately in Australia though the cost of being gluten intolerant or coeliac is not subsidised. And as you will see below, it really does add up. Here’s a little shopping list to give you an example of what buying gluten free versions of your regular products might cost.

	Regular	Gluten Free
Penne Pasta 500gm	$2.44	$3.53
Oats 500gm	$2.50	$5.75
Sweet Biscuits   200gm	$3.24	$4.99
Bread 600gm	$3.99	$5.68
Muesli Bars 6 Pack	$3.00	$5.20
TOTAL	$15.17	$25.25

On just a basic level, buying gluten free staples comes to about $10 extra a week. That’s $40 a month, and $480 a year…minimum. Seemingly as more people become affected by the high content of gluten in a lot of the foods we’re eating, perhaps one day we will be subsidised. In the meantime however some of us have to live with it, and one thing I want to say is that it doesn’t mean you have to resort to eating squeaky, rubbery bread that doesn’t toast properly or ‘fake’ tasting food. Here are two of our favourite gluten free friendly destinations for not only staples but the whole kitchen pantry kit and caboodle.

As mentioned earlier Catherine Gett from the Staple Store in Ripponlea (and also a naturopath) stocks plenty of gluten free whole food options and substitutes, like fantastic legume based meals in a jar ready to go, grains, nuts, sweets and more yummy treats.

We also highly recommend one of Melbourne’s gluten free mecca’s, Three Ducks Gluten Free Gourmet in Richmond. The best thing about Three Ducks is that “it’s all about good food that just happens to be gluten free”, as owner Ali Morrow always says. Find delicious pancakes mixes, flours, pastas, gourmet pies (One Girl Pulled Pork and Fennel is the best!), ice cream and so much more that you’ll have your next few weeks worth of meals planned already!