As many as one in three Canadian children now has a weight problem as obesity rates have soared over the past twenty years. The main causes are our increasingly sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits. What to do about it?
Growing a vegetable garden with your kids kills two birds with one stone: It teaches them where real food comes from and it’s great exercise.
Even the blackest thumb can grow a surprising array of tasty vegetables by following a few simple suggestions:
- If your soil isn’t good, create a raised bed and fill it with dirt from the garden centre.
- If space is an issue, many plants can be grown in pots.
- Apartment dwellers can grow just about anything on a balcony with good sun exposure. Even if you don't have outdoor space, try growing an herb garden inside on a sunny windowsill. If that doesn't work, consider joining a community or allotment garden.
- It’s exciting to grow plants from seed, but for a head start, buy seedlings from a nursery. Just put them in the ground, water them and watch them grow.
- Easy to grow plants include lettuce, bush beans, onions, radishes and zucchini. In fact zucchini is so hearty it may take over your yard so consider trellising it.
- Determinate or bush type tomatoes are easier to grow because they don’t have to be caged or supported with stakes and will grow well in pots or smaller spaces.
Gardening is a very kid friendly exercise... What child doesn't love digging in the dirt! Children can help with everything from plant selection to watering to harvesting. Caring for something and watching it grow is a great way to teach kids about responsibility.
Raking, planting, weeding & watering is all real exercise. At least thirty minutes spent three times a week is a good cardio workout, but it's a lot more fun than slogging away on an exercise bike or treadmill.
Even picky eaters can be convinced to eat their veg when it's something they've grown themselves. Growing produce can be the first step in teaching children about healthy eating. Get kids to make their own pizzas topped with tomatoes, basil and other veggies fresh from the garden. Yum!
If that isn't enough incentive, consider that gardening saves you money at the supermarket. Growing your own is even good for the environment because it means you're eating food that hasn't been trucked or flown in from around the world.
So what are you waiting for? Get your kids, get out and start gardening!
