I can't resist a good challenge. So when nonprofit organization Kanu Hawaii challenged anyone who was game to eat local for one full week, I thought: Bring. It. On.

What's that they say about pride preceding a fall? I didn't exactly fall, but I didn't succeed as swimmingly as I had thought I would.

But I'm not done yet. The challenge ends tomorrow, and at the time I'm writing this, I still have four days to continue my best effort to eat local.

This is my journey so far. It isn't an expert's guide to eating local because I'm no expert (as the following reveals).

The challenge: To support local farmers and food producers, participants will commit to eating only locally grown food for the week of Aug. 8 to 15. Kanu Hawaii also offered less drastic ways to participate, like eating local for a day or for a meal, but I decided to do it all.

How I prepared: Looking back, I could have done a much better job preparing for the challenge because making a quick stop at the Kailua Farmers Market (www.hfbf.org) a couple of days before the challenge started wasn't enough. (Though as I write, I am eating a bag of grape tomatoes from Nalo Farms that I purchased for $2 at last Thursday's market, so almost a week later, I'm still reaping the benefits of that visit.)

I had made big plans in my head to spend the week not only eating local, but also doing my own cooking, something I enjoy, but rarely have time to do.

That didn't work out. Big surprise.

Good thing I had made a list of restaurants that either use local ingredients on a regular basis, or are committed to offering eat-local-friendly meals during the week of the challenge. Tango Contemporary Cafe (593-7288), town (735-5900), Downtown @ the HiSAM (536-5900), Indigo (521-2900) and Cafe Anasia (951-9295), among many others, participated in the challenge by offering diners menus that were prepared using all locally grown ingredients.

With my reusable grocery bag (do I get bonus points for that?) filled with fresh-from-the-farm produce and a list of farm-to-table dining establishments, I was ready — or so I thought — for the challenge.

DAY 1

The good: I actually managed to eat only locally grown food all day. Plus, all the food I ate was fresh and raw — and completely vegetarian. Besides following challenge rules, I was eating healthy. Big bonus.

The bad: I just remembered that I drank coffee. From Starbucks. And I thought I had done so well. It's the little things, you know?

The difficult: Eating local is a mindset, and I'm sorry to admit it, but it's just not where my head's at. I can't even count the times during Day 1 that I reached for something that was unquestionably un-local. Um, Gruyere cheese? They don't make that in Waimanalo.

What I could have done differently: Kailua's locally owned and operated Morning Brew (262-7770) coffee shop is just across the street from Starbucks. And while every single ingredient in a Morning Brew latte — the coffee, the milk, the cinnamon, etc. — might not be locally grown or produced, it's still a local establishment, and getting my coffee there would not have been as big of a challenge rule-breaker.

DAY 2

The good: Lucky for me, the Sheraton Waikiki happened to unveil its new farm-to-table dining restaurant, Kai Market (921-4600), the day before I started the challenge. The restaurant places significant emphasis on using local ingredients in the dishes in its breakfast buffet.

While the breakfast does feature delicious dishes made entirely from local products — Maui goat cheese quiche, spinach and bacon Eggs Benedict — the buffet also features dishes that don't fit the eat-local guidelines.

The bad: I didn't eat just the local dishes from the buffet. I know, I know. But come at me with a plate of bacon, and I'm helpless.

Though I started the day OK, I ended it poorly. I ate a mini meat jun plate from my neighborhood Korean takeout spot. When they said "eat local," I don't think that's what they had in mind.

What I could have done differently: My lack of planning left me hungry and with an almost-empty refrigerator, which prompted me to opt for a quick — and not locally grown — take-out dinner. Eating well takes planning.

DAY 3

The good: I really wanted a Costco hot dog for lunch, but I went to Haili's Hawaiian Foods (593-8019) instead. Pipikaula and poi versus a hot dog? There's no contest.

The bad: I drank four — yes, four! — diet sodas that I'm pretty sure don't count as local, unless Safeway now counts as a local brand.

What I could have done differently: Making plans to drink local didn't even cross my mind. And with companies like Waialua Soda Works (371-7556) making good soda from mostly local ingredients, there's no reason I couldn't have sated my soda craving while still following the rules.

DAY 4

The good: I ate a pineapple that we grew in a pot on our lanai. If that's not eating local. ...

The bad: I ate my Nalo Farm-grown tomatoes with imported creme fraiche. Why can't I get this right, already?

What I would do differently: I should have shopped more, and better. If I had taken the time to go to places like Kokua Market (941-1922) or 'Umeke Market (739-2990) or even Whole Foods (738-0820), I would have had a better idea of what kind of options are out there for eating local.

UP FOR THE CHALLENGE? HERE ARE TIPS TO DO IT RIGHT:

1. Plan, plan, plan: Like any regimen, eating local takes planning.

2. Make a meal plan: If you know what you'll be eating, you're more likely to make sure you actually eat it.

3. Make a shopping list and shop, shop, shop: You don't know what kinds of local products are out there until you start shopping.

4. Spend more money on food: Eating local isn't cheap, so making budget adjustments to accommodate your eat-local aspirations will help you succeed — and give you peace of mind.

5. Visit farmers markets and open markets: Produce at local markets is almost always locally grown, and it's much cheaper than buying local produce from a grocery store.

6. Do your research: Find out which restaurants serve food made with locally grown and produced ingredients. Doing all your own cooking gets burdensome. Let someone else do the cooking, while you stick to the eat-local plan.

Now, let's see if I can follow my own advice and finish this challenge successfully.

For more information on Kanu Hawaii, or the Eat Local Challenge, visit www.kanuhawaii.org.