Eating foods grown locally, both to become healthier and to support local farmers, has increasingly taken hold with Americans. Considered a part of the broader sustainability movement, the local food trend is encouraging many to change their grocery shopping habits. Read on for tips on how to become a locavore.

Frequent your farmers market. Find a local farmers market (try visiting the USDA’s website for tips), grab some reusable bags, and head down to find in-season fruit and vegetables from local farmers. The great thing about farmers markets is that not only are they a fabulous place to pick up your food for the week, but they are a fun way to shop.

Choose five foods that you can source locally. A good way to get a feel for your local foodshed is to figure out what your area is best at growing. Choose five foods and commit to eating those locally for a while, so that you can get your locavore feet wet in a manageable way. Stuck for ideas? Try looking for local cheese, eggs, dairy, potatoes, in-season tomatoes, or root vegetables like carrots and onions. These are foods that commonly can be grown in many different climates.

Sign up for a CSA. CSA stands for community supported agriculture, and it's a fantastic way to support a local farmer and get fresh, local produce at the same time. You pay a subscription (usually either weekly or quarterly) and receive a weekly box of produce that's in season at the farm. Want to find a CSA in your area? Check out Local Harvest http://www.localharvest.org/csa/.

Pickle, can, freeze, or dehydrate. One way to be a locavore year-round is to preserve food while it's in season. Is there a glut of blueberries at your market? Buy when they're on sale, freeze them, and use them for muffins in the dead of winter. Canning doesn't have to be scary, and many locavores are canning in small batches in their homes. Start with one of the ideas from preserving website Punk Domestics.

Can't find locally grown? Try locally produced food. Many items like bread, pastries, coffee, and jams aren't always sourced with local ingredients. The next best thing is to buy them from local businesses: coffee purveyors who source their beans carefully and roast locally, bakers who buy the best wheat they can and make daily bread in the next town over, local artisans who buy citrus from a reputable farm and make marmalade. You're still keeping some of your dollars local and supporting area businesses.

Nestpert: Jennifer Maiser is the founder of the Eat Local Challenge, a multi-author website that encourages people from all corners of the country to consider eating local food.

Now that you know how to be a locavore, check out great veggie recipes using our recipe finder >

-- Samantha Leal

See More: Cooking Q&A , Food & Recipes