Central Florida Veg Fest

-Lisa R. Ramey, DO

This weekend I took my two children to the Central Florida Veg Fest. It was my first veg fest I had attended. It was great. There was no admission cost. There were multiple vendors from the humane society to organic baked goods to organic lawn care companies. My kids were able to paint a small ceramic pot and then plant an herb in it. We learned some great ways to help our environment.

 My intent of going was to try some samples of great vegetarian dishes from the local restaurants. I really liked this idea because it allowed me to get my kids to take a bite of some new foods without a large expense. Some samples they liked such as the vegetarian thai spring rolls and the cranberry and almond bulgur salad. They were not big on the slice of sweet potatoe pie that we tried. The main objective was that they enjoyed going, learned some new things, tried some healthy foods and I did not have to spend a lot of money for a fun morning out.

 Look in the Friday section of your local newspaper and try some new adventures. It is a great way to have fun with your family, try new things, learn new things and be outdoors. I think some people are very hesitant to spend a lot at the grocery store for something “healthy or organic”. People don’t want to spend the money on something they may not like. A festival such as the Veg Fest was perfect for trial and error. Don’t be so hesitant, the more organic and vegetarian we try the more we like.