Sow Healthy – Growing Your Own Vegetables

We all know that eating vegetables is good for you, they provide you with the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that give you the energy needed to maintain a healthy diet. The best way to get the full nutritious value and taste of veg is to eat it as soon after picking as possible, as once the veg is picked it begins to lose its full benefits – nothing could be quicker than from your garden to your plate in minutes.

‘Growing your own’ is about appreciating the flavours of the season – tomatoes in summer taste better ripened by the sun rather than forced, crisp lettuce to makes a fresh salad, courgette flowers unobtainable in supermarkets are like a gourmet treat, french beans picked when they are still young and snap with a crunch, and peas sugary sweetness can never be replicated as they lose 1/2 their sugar content which turns to starch within hours of picking.

‘Growing your Own’ can also mean a change of lifestyle as you get physical exercise with digging and maintaining your crop and it feels like getting back to nature and taking life easier and being healthier. It creates a breathing space, a time away from the hussle and bussle and there is nothing like spending time in the fresh air for making you feel better.

There are also concerns about the way veg is prepared and cleaned for sale by supermarkets by ‘growing your own’ you can be responsible for whether or not chemicals are used on your veg and whether they are washed in water or chemicals.

You are also helping to reduce your carbon footprint. There are very little air miles involved in growing your own compared with that of commercially produced shop bought vegetables which can only be better for the environment, and you are also providing food & habitats for insects and wildlife and helping to maintain a healthier eco-system.

‘Growing your own’ is fantastic for your health, and great fun!!