In recent years, the movement towards locally sourced foods and farm-to-table options has significantly increased, and for good reason.
Growing your garden offers several benefits to your body, mind, and environment. As someone with a dedicated kitchen garden, I can tell you this lifestyle is doable and increasingly rewarding.
Stick around as I discuss the growing benefits of sourcing your produce from your garden rather than your fridge.
Physical Benefits of Growing Your Own Food
Growing your food offers a plethora of health benefits for your body and environment, from boosting your vitamin intake and promoting healthy eating to reducing your carbon footprint.
Promotes Healthy Eating
Having the option of strolling to your garden and picking out a bunch of fruits and vegetables will naturally promote healthier eating habits.
This is especially true if you have little ones. Allowing your kids to observe a plant’s growth and then letting them harvest it will encourage them to eat what they picked.
On top of having this sense of ownership, growing your food will help reduce the need for frequent grocery visits, which can keep you from buying extra unnecessary items.
Increases Your Quality of Food
From seed to mature plant, you’ll be able to oversee your crops’ growth throughout all stages.
Subsequently, you don’t have to worry about harmful pesticides or added chemicals that come from store-bought fruits and vegetables.
You’ll have full control over what goes into your food. Plus, the fresher your produce, the more vitamins and minerals it’ll carry.
Offers Better Taste
Once you’ve mastered growing your own food, you’ll be able to produce tastier results than commercially bought fruits and vegetables.
All it takes is understanding each plant’s requirements. For instance, if you decide to grow tomatoes, be sure to plant them from late March to early April.
Meanwhile, if you’re opting for leafy greens like spinach, mid to late spring offers the best conditions.
Produces Less Waste
A lot of the fruits and vegetables in your local supermarket tend to originate overseas. One of the largest importers of fruit to the U.S. is Mexico.
The trips between the U.S. and Mexico have led to a large carbon footprint. You don’t have to partake in this import cycle by growing your food.
Instead, your plants will be absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing more oxygen into the atmosphere.
Mental Benefits of Growing Your Own Food
In addition to the physical advantages of growing your own food, you can also benefit your mental health. Here’s how:
Practicing Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a term often tossed around in mental health. What it truly means is being present in the moment or being aware of your actions and surroundings.
Growing your food supports that mindful thinking. It allows you to become more focused and conscious of your plants’ growth and care.
Nurturing another living being allows you to shift away from negative thoughts that could ruin your day.
Boosting Mood
According to research, plant soil contains bacteria that increase your serotonin levels. This molecule plays a critical role in regulating your mood.
Similar studies found that children raised in rural areas display more stress-resilient immune systems than urban-raised kids.
For this reason, whenever you get your hands dirty, you’ll feel the stress-reducing effects of the soil kick in over time.
Reducing Stress
Whenever I’m on my way home from a long day of work, I usually think of what I’ll be doing for my garden.
My green space is like my escape from life’s long-winded troubles. The serenity of being surrounded by greenery brushes off my daily stresses, and it can do the same for you.
Remember, gardening is a routine practice. Incorporating it into your life will create a calming addition to the rhythm of your day.
Final Thoughts
Growing your own garden offers benefits from various avenues, such as your physical and mental health, as well as environmental wellness. You can even look at it from an aesthetic angle for your yard.
Overall, advantages like inviting local pollinators, reducing carbon emissions, and regulating your mood and stress will all be worth the effort of growing your own kitchen garden.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.