Fresh from the Farmers Market: Eating Smart

Bothered by rising obesity in children and the heavy marketing of sugary cereals, a local chiropractor decided to tackle these issues her own way.

Risa Potters launched The Smart of Eating, a nutritional education and lifestyle program that emphasizes the return to “real food” and away from highly processed food and fad diets.

Walking her talk

Also a nutritionist, Potters has been “walking her talk” for several years now. She has been a long-time organic gardener and a devout yoga practitioner.

According to Potters, everyone should be eating the highest quality products available. “It’s sad but people pay more attention sometimes to the cars they drive than to the food they eat,” she said.

Currently in three LA-area farmers markets, The Smart of Eating carries the product lines of Vital Choice and Marine Sea Coast Vegetables, which are also available in Potters' Agoura Hills practice.

The Smart of Eating also offers home consultations, shopping, meal preparation, meal plans, pantry and refrigerator clearing and even cooking classes. Services range from $35 to $75 an hour, with package discounts available.

Real food

Albacore tuna, sockeye salmon, sardines, raw snacks and supplements are only some of the products that are available at the farmers markets and through the company website.

“I want people to have a choice and pay close attention to the food that they eat,” Potters said, indicating a can of Vital Choice premium sardines that was caught and custom-packed by a family in Portugal.

Potters also explained the merits of the albacore tuna in organic extra virgin oil. Line-caught and hand-packed, the tuna is cooked once to retain its original flavor and to maximize its nutritional value.

From Marine Coast Sea Vegetables, Potters gets snack pouches: nori, laver, sockeye salmon and apple wood smoked dulse leaf. The nori sheets, certified raw and organic, are commonly used in sushi or as a substitute for bread, but they can also be eaten as is.

The canned goods and pouches are mostly in the $4 to $8 price range. Volume discounts are available, said Potters, who is slowly noticing an increase in repeat business and quantity purchases in Agoura.

Even with “real food,” supplements are still necessary for some, she said.  From Vital Choice, there’s the ever-popular sockeye salmon oil, for $24 a bottle and the wild Antarctic krill oil for $48 a bottle.

“Though we’re out of it now, the king salmon candy is very popular and tasty,” said Potters. The Marine Stewardship Council has certified the de-boned, smoky salmon treat sustainable.

Also popular in this Agoura market are the ready-to-be eaten salmon pouches, the seaweed varieties and the nori sheets.

The enlightened approach

For the rest of 2011, Potters has considerable plans, including a cookbook and a workshop series. “I’m targeting the regular person who would like to know more about nutrition basics, portion sizes, good and bad fats,” she said.

She would also like to expand and have a booth in at least two more farmers markets in the area within the year. “I do want to continue enlightening more people to eating real food,” she said.

*The Agoura Hills Farmers Market is open on Tuesdays, from 1 to 6 pm, at 28914 Roadside Drive, in the Whizin Market Square parking lot.