I am lucky! I have always had a garden in my life. One of my earliest memories is my mother and I in her garden in the warm sunshine. I think I was about 2 or 3 years old and I was playing in the corn and the sunflowers. I am 44 this year and I have had every size and shape of garden. My first garden included a bumper crop of tomatoes growing in a half barrel on my apartment balcony. The biggest garden I had was a 10 acre patch in the country complete with asparagus which my son sold from our driveway. I love the flavor of fresh fruit and vegetables and now so do my kids. Organic gardens connect kids to making healthy food choices.
The Healthy Food Pyramid recommends adults eat 7-10 servings of fresh fruit and vegetables every day. That is not as huge a task as it sounds. A serving size is 1 whole food such as 1 apple or a half cup of raw fruit or vegetables. The first step to meeting this goal is simple. Do yourself a favor, take a break right now and go see just how small a half cup really is. You'll be surprised!
OK Moms and Dads - what about your kids? Healthy Food Guides recommend kids eat 4-6 servings of fresh fruit and vegetables every day. The best way I have found to introduce healthy foods to your kids is having your own garden. They will want to eat what they grow.
Buy an online e book written by someone who is a gardener and learn from their mistakes. It will save you time and money. Get your kids involved and make it a fun family experience. When you are eating healthy foods right from your own backyard that you planted and grew as a family it starts a lifetime of making healthy food choices.
I just have to add one more thing -- having your own garden is also good for the spirit. Growing your own fruits and vegetables can connect you to the natural rhythm of the earth and its cycles in ways nothing else can. It rejuvenates you. Trade your kid's D.S. or computer for plants and a shovel and see what happens.
If you weren't lucky enough to have someone share their love of gardening and introduce you to healthy foods it is never too late. Purchase a great book and start creating some amazing family memories for you and your kids. Grow an organic garden and watch them naturally start to make healthy food choices.