If rising grocery prices have you struggling to maintain a healthy diet, learning to grow your own foods may help. Understanding how to grow your own healthy foods can help you lower your food costs and increase your intake of fresh produce.
1- Herbs
There are many herbs that can be used to great effect. You can season low-cost foods, such as basic grains, with fresh rosemary or dill. You can add fresh sage to pasta salads and boost the flavor of your iced tea with fresh mint.
Herb-growing kits can be picked up at many home supply stores. Consider starting your herbs indoors to keep them contained; fresh dill smells wonderful, but if allowed to go to seed it can quickly become invasive outside.
2- Fruits and Veggies
There are many fresh fruits and veggies that can easily be grown in a small yard or even in outdoor pots. Greens such as lettuce, spinach, kale, and chard can all be added to a flower bed or to outdoor pots in the spring. Depending on your location, you may be able to grow fresh greens all winter with a small greenhouse.
Fruits can take longer to start. While apples, lemons, and oranges come from trees, you can grow fresh blueberries and strawberries on a very small patch of ground and fairly quickly. Take a walk along rivers or streams in your neighborhood and look for wild berries that draw birds. Wild blackberries, once started on your property, will spread quickly. Never eat a berry you can’t identify!
It only takes a small amount of ground to grow many vegetables. It doesn’t take much digging to create a bed for carrots. It’s possible to grow potatoes above the soil in straw, especially if your soil is extremely heavy. Don’t forget that you can also harvest just the tops of vegetables. Beet greens are delicious in a fresh salad, even if you don’t enjoy beets all that much.
3- Grains
Oats, quinoa, wheat, and rice are all grains that offer nutrients and necessary fiber to the diet. Unfortunately, many of these grains must be grown on large tracts of land and harvested with machinery that may not be available to ordinary gardeners. However, it’s possible to purchase bulk grains from organic growers in an unprocessed state.
For those who are just starting out on their food-growing journey, quinoa is possible to grow in your garden and harvest when it dries. This plant thrives in very warm weather and needs a lot of sunlight to thrive.
If you plan to buy grains in bulk, take special care to note storage requirements and “best by” dates. Brown rice is generally considered healthier than white rice but must be used much sooner than white rice as it can spoil. With proper planning, you can store grains to great effect and protect your health with them.
Small dietary improvements with fresh produce can do a great deal to improve your health. With the right planning, you can also cut your grocery expenses with homegrown produce.
