Whenever I can manage it, I like to take my kids to the West Side Market.  It doesn’t happen as often as I’d like because I have to carry all of the very weighty purchases.  The Market is about 15 minutes away from my house on the western edge of Downtown Cleveland.

It’s a great place to mingle with the masses and soak up an ethnic essence that’s missing in the sterile atmospheres of most grocery chains.  It also is less expensive (at least for produce and meat) than the supermarket.

Another great reason to go is that my kids will learn from my example of trying diverse resources for healthy foods.  We have our typical health foods store at which I like to shop.  We also will buy from a co-op to which we belong.

The West Side Market fills the void of that city-life enrichment that no other venue supplies.  Where else can you and the kids hear the yells of the vendors calling for your business in their thick accents, see the analog scales and the vibrant, colorful produce and smell that roasting meat (whatever it is, it smells intriguing and always salty)?

What a great way to stimulate the senses, too.

With $60 cash, I can usually weigh myself and the kids down with enough produce, meat and bread (mostly for them) to last us throughout the week.  And if there is too much of something (like “how are we going to eat all these oranges?”), then sell part to a friend or neighbor – this works best if you tell them in advance that you’re going.

My main point, however, is that the kids will appreciate their food a little more. You can teach them that this is how food was purchased way before grocery stores appeared (from the farm to the market).

If you have a nearby market, then take your kids along and get them used to inexpensive and healthy grocery shopping that will surely stimulate their senses.