Local Produce Shopping at Winn Dixie

Y'all know I am a WINN DIXIE shopper - I LOVE the deals, I LOVE the food, and I LOVE the gas perks too!

Did you also know that Winn Dixie uses LOCAL sources for produce too! That means the Blueberries came from a LOCAL farm and you didn't have to go blueberry picking to get that fresh taste either!

Earlier this month, Winn Dixie announced a new local sourcing policy with a commitment to only source produce from local farms and orchards in the Southeast whenever possible. That just makes sense - We shop LOCAL, we want to EAT LOCAL too!

Recently, I got an invitation to tour and taste samples in the produce department at my local Winn Dixie and here are some of the things I learned along the way: 

• What is considered Local Southeast? Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina are all included! I have never really checked the labels before, but you can tell the location of produce by looking at tags and stickers - I was amazed to see how many items in the produce section were from a farm or grower in the Southeast. Currently up to 30 percent of Southeastern Grocers’ fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables are sourced directly from the Southeast.

 

• That's a LOT of Potatoes, Paw Paw! Ian McLeod, President and CEO of Southeastern Grocers says, "We sell more than 1.1 million pounds of local red potatoes each month and more than 1 million pounds of local strawberries a month each season!”  Here in New Orleans alone, I think many of those red potatoes are added to Spring Crawfish boils, and the strawberries added to fruit trays brought to summer pool parties.  And you know that Ponchatoula strawberries TASTE different (and better!) and with Winn Dixie's commitment to bringing you more local produce options, you will see MORE of them in the stores!

• LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCE! Not only did Winn Dixie have labels on the produce, but they also spotlighted Local farmers throughout the produce section, giving you a little bit more information about where your food is coming from and the growers that inspect the produce to ensure you are being provided the best quality product for your dinner table!

 After my produce tour, I was challenged to use some of the locally-sourced produce in meals at home.  Now let's be clear - I am a "simple cook" meaning after 4 ingredients you lose me, so I did very SIMPLE and very EASY meals with the produce from Winn Dixie. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! Here are a few of the ones that I created:

BLUEBERRIES and PEACHES 

I "cooked" instant oatmeal and garnished it with fresh blueberries and peaches - WOW! What a difference in taste the fresh fruit made - and the martini glass made me feel a little fancy eating a super easy to make breakfast!

My 9 year old made these Blueberry waffles- added a few to the batter and VOILA!

SWEET POTATOES

So I will admit I had never cooked a sweet potato before - so I went super simple! I simply wrapped it in foil and Baked it! Ok so honestly I forgot about it in the oven and overbaked it (does that make it Twice baked?) My mistake, but that made it even BETTER! It was super mushy, super sweet, and reminded me of sweet potato casserole and I didn't even add brown sugar! 

SQUASH MEDLEY

Again, my cooking skills (and time) are limited, so I was all about this pre-bagged squash medley! Simply pop the bag in the microwave and pour it on the plate! It tasted great and most importantly, I could serve this side in minutes with little effort!

So next time you are in Winn Dixie, check the labels a little bit more! Make sure to buy the produce that is grown close to home when you see it, and whether or not you buy fresh or convenience items, know that Winn Dixie is making that effort to bring you more

LOCALLY SOURCED PRODUCE!

I know you recognize this NOLA kitchen staple!

Creole Seasoning Mix - pre-chopped, pre-seasoned - just add it to your favorite dish and 

it tastes like Ya Mamma made it!

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For more information, please visit Winn Dixie online.

You can also find out my Grocery Savings Tips on everyday grocery items at Winn Dixie (and sometimes produce too!) here

This post was sponsored by Winn Dixie.  All opinions (and cooking skills) are 100% my own.

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