6 Ways to Have Fun with Veggies Outside the Garden
Encourage children to eat more vegetables with these outside-the-garden activities!
Parents often wish their kids ate more vegetables. Studies support that kids who spend time gardening are more likely to (happily) eat veggies. But what if you don’t have the time or space to tend to a garden? Here are six simpler ways to have fun with veggies:
Buy a cherry tomato plant and care for it this summer. They do well in pots and produce a ton of tomatoes. Try eating them right from the vine, roasted, pureed into a quick sauce or chopped into salsa. Your local hardware store and local nursery will have tomato plants available; some even come with the trellis in the pot; just water and pick!
Grow Sprouts. Grab a clean glass jar and toss in a handful of seeds. Rinse daily with fresh water and you’ll be ready to eat sprouts in a few short days. If you use cheese cloth across the top of the jar fastened with a rubber band, the daily rinse and drain is easier.
If distancing regulations allow, visit a farm and pick your own. From strawberries in the spring, to peaches in the summer, to apples and pumpkins in the fall, picking your own produce is fun! Find a u-pick near you with this link.
Do an art project. Use produce as the inspiration for a painting or photography project. Or slice fruits and veggies and use them to stamp paper.
Plant some lettuce seeds in a pot. They are ready to pick in a few short weeks and taste delicious. Lettuce can grow outside or in a sunny window.
Visit a farmer’s market. Give your kiddo a few bucks to pick out their own food to try.
