It might seem odd to try and grow your own vegetables when the store is more convenient, yet more people are now looking to starting their own vegetable gardens. The benefits of growing your own produce isn’t just limited to food; it’s ethically sound, it’s easy on your wallet, and it can be good for you physical and mental health. Keep reading to find out why it may be time for you start your own vegetable garden.

Healthy food

More people than ever are educating themselves on nutrition, and they want to know what exactly is in their food. Supermarkets are now stocking their range of organic food, which, according to MyKitchenPantry.com, are vegetables grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or genetically modified organisms. Unfortunately, you don’t know for sure if the food is 100 percent organic, and you could still be ingesting an unhealthy amount of pesticides. These can weaken your immune system, decrease brain function, and can cause cancer and reproductive difficulties. If you grow it yourself, however, you have control over chemical and pesticide usage on the food you eat. Your food will be truly organic, which means that it will have more nutrients, more antioxidants, and it will taste better. 

Physical health

Gardening is not as simple as planting some seeds and hoping the weather conditions will grow your vegetables for you. It takes a lot of physical labour to produce good and edible food, from raking to weeding, and digging up the vegetables when they’re ready for harvesting. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute lists gardening as a beneficial activity to help lose weight, maintain weight loss and reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Mental health

Gardening is proven to reduce stress, create a sense of relaxation and build self-esteem. In fact, gardening ticks so many boxes for mental health; you get fresh air, you have a task that requires focus, you spend time away from your daily stresses, you can express your creativity, and you feel a sense of accomplishment when you’re literally putting food on the table. 

Low-cost

While you might not grow enough to make your family self-sufficient, you can still save a few pennies here and there by growing the family’s favorite vegetables. Gardening is also a fun family activity that doesn’t cost a fortune. In fact, your kids are more likely to eat vegetables if they’ve helped to grow them. Families with young babies can especially benefit from having a garden; organic baby food is expensive, so this way you have something healthy ready to puree. 

Ethical benefits

Growing our own vegetables helps us reconnect to our sources of food. It makes you more conscious of your waste, and teaches you what to watch out for in supermarket labels. You learn more about seasonal vegetables, so you understand why prices go up and down on imported produce. It can also bring the community together, if you all share what you’ve been growing in your gardens.