Our first ever Hometown Harvest 30 Days of Real Food Challenge was a huge success for many families in the DC-VA-MD area! Not only were we able to give our local farmers and producers a strong start to the 2013 season (despite crazy weather!), we also got out in the community to spread the message of real food. Handing out snacks to commuting bicyclists for Bike-to-Work Day, teaching low-income kids how to shop for fresh produce at Martha’s Table, and reading customer blogs about healthy changes in their every day lives were some of the highlights of the challenge for our team.
We asked those who made it to the end of the challenge for feedback on the experience. Here are some of the things YOU said about eating local, REAL foods for 30 days straight:
Health Improvements:
- Nearly everyone who responded mentioned weight loss. One customer lost 16lbs during the challenge! On average, folks tended to shed 5-8lbs just by eating whole foods.
“Lost 6 lbs and no longer feel sick or uncomfortable after meals. Eating natural foods has cleared out my system and made me feel stronger and healthier!” – Cindy
- A surprising trend was the number of customers who revealed that they had “less headaches” during the challenge.
- More energy/better sleep was another consistent trend we found. This could be due to a more efficient energy source: real whole foods.
- Did you check in the mirror? Several folks reported clearer skin by the end of the month, including a teenage challenger.
- Barry mention that the challenge “brought down blood lab numbers” and Susan reported that after her 5lb weight loss, her “cardiologist is thrilled!”
Household Improvements:
- See ya later trash! Several customers reported a reduction in their overall household trash due to less processed snack packaging. The gardeners in the group were excited about all the increased composting materials.
- Results were mixed about lower grocery bills:
“Definitely lower grocery bills. We order from HH bi-weekly and plan around that and it works great for our family.” -Amy
“Grocery bills are about the same, but when you eat closer to the ground and lower in the food chain, you know you are getting more natural nutrition for the money.” -Irene
- An overall increase in home cooking occurred with nearly ALL of the participants, and families with kids reported a newfound understanding of ingredients and healthy snacks among the youngsters. All throughout the month, we heard from many proud parents about the incredible real food dishes their kids were learning to cook. It sounds like some great family bonding came out of the kitchen during HH30Days!
The feedback from the challenge was OVERWHELMINGLY positive. We will definitely do this again in the future, and we hope you’ll join us!
