Laura Kenny, RD, CD
During the cold winter months, did you make a commitment to yourself to start a home garden? Did you have all the best of intentions to start preparing the soil, getting organized and growing healthy fruits and vegetables at the first signs of spring? But then reality hits and spring is here before you know it. Now you are being pulled in a hundred different directions and you start to see your healthy intentions wither into thoughts of…maybe next year? Stop that thought process now and consider the following eight reasons why you should start a home garden today!
- Vitamin D Production: Gardening is a perfect, productive way to spend a little time outdoors. Only 10-15 minutes a day of weeding and pruning the garden can provide daily needs of vitamin D which can be difficult to achieve through dietary sources alone.
- Calorie Burning : Gardening burns calories similar to brisk walking. Maintaining a garden requires bending, lifting, digging and weeding which tones both your lower and upper body. On average, a 150-pound person can burn up to 300 calories an hour gardening
- Setting an Example: Gardening allows kids to actively get involved in making their own food. Studies have indicated that when kids play a role in food decisions their intake and preference for fruits and vegetables will increase. Kids can help plant, water, harvest and weed the garden!
- Fresh is Best: Perfectly ripe produce has the maximum vitamin, mineral and phytochemical content. There is no need to add chemicals to prevent ripening during transportation as with the standard supermarket produce.
- Saves Money: Price of food is increasing and a home garden is a small investment that can save hundreds of dollars off the grocery bill. Canning and preserving produce for the winter and fall months will provide even more savings.
- Therapeutic: Gardening is calming and relaxing. It can help people sleep better, reduce anxiety and enhance mood levels.
- Slow Food Movement: Growing food locally reduces the negative environmental impact of excessive chemicals and transportation resources used in the standard food supply.
- Control over Additives: As the gardener, you control the type of fertilizer, the type and amount of chemicals and the form of pest control. It allows you to know exactly where your food is coming from and what it contains with no hidden secrets or food additives!