Why Giada De Laurentiis Says You Should Get Produce From A Farmers Market

Chef and Food Network personality Giada De Laurentiis is passionate about Italian food, and when it comes to sourcing the produce in particular for her tasty dishes, she has one place in mind — local farmers markets.

In an interview with TODAY, De Laurentiis discussed her eating habits and some things she had revamped about her diet. One of her best tips was to get produce from the farmers market, as she finds it to be much more flavorful than what you can pick up at the regular grocery store. At the very least, she recommends going for organic produce, saying that the difference in taste is noticeable.

One of these fresh produce hot spots even made its way into the center of a "Giada on the Beach" episode, in which she picked up ingredients to create a lunch for her friends at the market near her vacation beach house (via Food Network).

Many sources seem to agree with De Laurentiis' preference for farmers market produce. As HuffPost reports, the produce you get at a farmers market vs. a grocery store is generally fresher, as it's often picked the morning of or day before being brought to the market. These fruits and veggies are also often picked right when they're perfectly ripe and are grown with a bit of extra TLC.

As one might expect from a chef, the taste of produce purchased at a farmers market is a big selling point. After all, the better and fresher the ingredients, the better the finished dish will be. However, that isn't the only benefit of picking up your produce at the market.

First of all, shopping for produce at the market can help you eat more seasonally (via CUESA). Many fruits and vegetables are available year-round at your local supermarket because they're brought in from far away locations. Growers at the farmers market, however, are more mindful of the seasons. Why not try out a few unique vegetables that you may not have cooked with before?

The environmental factor is another benefit. Since the produce is traveling from nearby farms rather than from halfway across the world, it's a lot more sustainable and leaves less of a carbon footprint. In addition, since these fruits and vegetables aren't grown on such a massive scale, many of the small suppliers at the farmers market use less pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and polluting pieces of equipment (via HuffPost).

Finally, getting your produce at the farmers market means that you're supporting local growers, and by extension, supporting the local economy, according to HuffPost. Not only are you helping ensure the farmer can continue to operate, but you're also potentially helping provide jobs to those who might help out on the farm or at the market.