5 Of The Easiest Vegetables To Grow At Home

It won’t just be your bank balance that gets healthier when you get up and grow. We’ve tracked down the most nutritious, easy-to-grow vegetables in Mother Nature’s larder.

Leaping around our living rooms to Joe Wicks wasn’t the only thing to increase in popularity over lockdown. New research from the mental health charity Mind showed that over 7 million of us took up gardening as a hobby since the pandemic. (1)

And while we may have less time on our hands these days, there may be even bigger reasons  to get them grubby. The soaring cost of living and rising supermarket prices means we’re all looking for ways to trim the household budget. Seeds cost pennies, while cherry tomatoes and strawberry plants can yield kilos. Get green-fingered and there’s savings to be made.

Gardening also offers more health benefits than you can shake a wonky carrot at. Besides the physical activity of tending to your plants in the fresh air, there’s nothing more nutritious (or tastier!) than home-grown produce. It’s a great way to educate children on where their produce actually comes from, while enjoying the fruits of your labour provides a sense of purpose that can do wonders for your mental health. 

Keen to get started? We’ve tracked down five of the most nourishing foods that are also super-easy to grow at home: No garden? No problem. Many of them can even be grown in a pot on your windowsill. 

Blueberries

A punnet of shop-bought soft fruits such as blueberries are an increasingly expensive luxury. So why not grow your own? Blueberry shrubs grow best in acidic soil that’s watered with rain water rather than tap. As well as thriving in gardens, compact varieties can be grown in pots on a patio - perfect if you don’t have much space. 

But not only are blueberries delicious, they’re surprisingly nutrient dense for something so small. They’re packed with antioxidants, known to help reduce excess inflammation in the body, which can have a positive effect on everything from heart disease to dementia. Studies on blueberries have shown they may also play a role in normalising cholesterol levels and blood pressure, improving insulin sensitivity, and boosting cognitive function. 

Tomatoes

Tomatoes grow well in warm, sunny spots. But if you don’t have the best outdoor conditions or a greenhouse, some varieties can be planted indoors and grown by a south-facing window. 

Tomatoes are a great source of the antioxidant, lycopene, which has been shown to reduce the risk of prostate cancer and heart disease. Don’t leave them all for your salad though, as you need to cook your tomatoes after picking them to reap the maximum lycopene health benefits. That’s because lycopene binds to fibre which is softened during the cooking process.

Tomatoes are famously rich in vitamin C. That’s great for the immune system, but vitamin c’s antioxidant properties also help keep our cells healthy and mitigate free-radical damage, while making collagen for healthy blood vessels, skin, cartilage and bones. 

Tomatoes contain vitamin K that will further support bone health, as well as potassium, a mineral that plays an important role in muscle contraction, nerve signalling and regulating the balance of fluids in the body - all actions which are essential for a healthy cardiovascular system.

Kale 

Not only is kale easy to grow, it looks lovely in the garden. There are several varieties to choose from,  and it tastes so much better fresh from the garden than it does in a plastic bag from the supermarket. So much so, it’s not just us humans who like it. Insects and pigeons are very partial to kale, so it’s best to protect your leaves with a net cover.

Kale is packed with folate, magnesium, beta carotene, iron, vitamins, B6 and C as well as fibre to support gut health. It's a good plant food for building healthy bones, being a rich source of calcium and vitamin K. Kale also contains the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, known to support the health of our eyes. 

Garlic 

Garlic is one of the easiest foods to grow at home and takes up such little space that even city dwellers can benefit. They grow well in pots and there’s no need to visit the garden centre to get started. Garlic is sown from cloves, so simply separate the cloves of a garlic bulb and plant them. 

Garlic’s health benefits are legendary. Renowned for its antiviral and antibacterial properties, your humble clove’s immunity benefits are mostly down to a compound called allicin, which is produced when fresh garlic is chopped or crushed and left to rest for 10-15 minutes before consuming. 

Garlic’s also a great source of nutrients like manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C and selenium and calcium. And, when it comes to heart health, some studies have shown that garlic may help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and even reduce the risk of plaque build-up in arteries. 

Potatoes

Potatoes are so easy to grow and yield abundant harvests. If you’re a potato lover and have never eaten anything other than supermarket spuds, you’re in for a treat - homegrown tastes really special. 

Potatoes get a lot of bad press when it comes to health, due to their high starch content. But they’re actually very nutritious, particularly when you eat them with the skin on. One medium Russet potato contains around 30% of our daily vitamin C and potassium needs, as well as vitamin K, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese and more. 

If you have the space, aim to grow a variety of potatoes with different skin colours (like russet, purple and new potatoes), as you’ll benefit from a broader spectrum of antioxidants and polyphenols.

If you enjoyed reading this article, you might like Optimal nutrition on a vegan diet.

References

(1) https://www.mind.org.uk/news-campaigns/news/over-7-million-have-taken-up-gardening-since-the-pandemic-new-research-shows-spending-more-time-in-nature-has-boosted-nation-s-wellbeing/