Vegetables are an essential part of a balanced diet. However, families on a budget may be put off from buying veg regularly as shops often sell healthy and organic food at a premium. So how about growing your own? Here is a brief guide to growing your own vegetables and the benefits of using ingredients straight from your patch to the plate.
Sustainable and Healthy
Leading nutritionists have claimed that cooking your family meals from scratch can actually help you lose weight. Restaurant food and ready meals are full of sugar, fats and carbohydrates and are likely to contain low nutritional content. By growing your own veg and cooking your own meals, you will be in control of exactly what goes into the food that yourself and your family eat. Plus, you can serve appropriate portions and avoid the temptation of overeating.
Another reason to grow your own veg is the health benefits involved. Supermarket vegetables are sold as “fresh” but in fact they are pumped with additives to prevent them from deteriorating during transportation. Enjoy additive and pesticide-free veg by starting your own vegetable patch in your garden.
Feeding your family with homegrown vegetables is an example of maintaining a sustainable garden and utilising natural resources. It will help you save money rather than buying the expensive “fresh” produce sold in supermarkets. Start your plan for clean eating in your garden.
How Do I Start My Own Vegetable Patch?
Here are some tips for aspiring first-time growers who want to start their own vegetable patches:
- To make sure your soil is fertile enough to grow your produce. Add some organic seed compost to give your plants a good start.
- Control the pests such as slugs and snails by using a pesticide that is suitable for edible plants.
- Start off your seeds indoors in small pots initially before planting them in the chosen patch in your garden.
- Invest in a polytunnel, such as those available at Premier Polytunnels, so that you can nurture your vegetables in all seasons.
- You can also try a container garden, such as this Fiskars DIY raised bed.
If you have never grown veg before, we recommend beginning with lettuce, chard and courgette. Tomatoes are also good to grow yourself, but they require more protection and nurturing in the first few months.
Eat healthily and on a budget by growing your own vegetable patch in your garden. By cooking meals that go from your vegetable patch to your plate, you will know exactly what you’re eating. Plus, you’ll be promoting a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle.
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