I just read a shocking fact. Fifty-nine percent of American children are either overweight or obese according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s such a huge number, I’ll let it sink in for a moment: three out of every five children in America is unhealthy.
Photo by Stitch
Now that you’ve had a chance to climb back on your chair, I’m sure you’re thinking, “Fern, that’s a shocking fact, but what in the world does that have to do with plants in pots on a balcony?” I’ll tell you what. I’ve been a camp counselor before, and babysat tons. I know how hard it is to get kids to eat anything remotely healthy. But I’ve also seen the pride kids take in a radish they grew from seed in a paper cup.
That last observation is the secret I think. Involve kids in healthy food growing (and buying). If you grow vegetables with your kids, they’re more likely to taste the fruits of their labor. Not having a huge garden is no excuse. A cherry tomato plant can be grown in a pot next to your front door. Same thing if you take them with you to the farmer’s market and they meet the farmer and can talk to him about how he grew the corn they selected for a BBQ later that afternoon. Get kids excited about and interested in fresh fruits and vegetables by making the process of obtaining them personal and fun.
When picking vegetables to grow with your kids, choose seeds that germinate quickly and opt for transplants for those vegetables that take longer to produce something edible. Get your kids involved in picking out what to grow and planning out your container garden. And set your kids up for success by chosing stuff that is easy to grow. If you’re new to vegetable gardening in containers, I highly recommend the book Bountiful Container.
Here are some articles that will help you get started:
- Vegetables and Herbs You Can Still Plant Before Winter
- Easy Fruits and Vegetables to Grow in Containers
- Create a Hanging Salad Bowl
- Tiny Tomato Plant Are Perfect for Balcony Gardeners
- Vegetable and Herb Companion Planting in Containers
- Dwarf Blueberry Varieties Good for Container Gardening
Edited to Add: Nancy blogged about a school gardening project that was a great success in getting kids to eat more fruits and vegetables.
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I couldn’t agree with you more! I wrote an article a while back about a local elementary school that has a wonderful gardening program for their students; it’s been a great success. (http://tinyurl.com/57bouw if you care to read it) I’m sure these students took some of that enthusiasm home with them at night, too. You’ve certainly shown that you don’t need a lot of space to have a healthy veggie garden.
Nancy — Thanks for sharing that link! I think if parents and teachers think creatively, this is a problem that can be easily solved.
You know, gardening really should be a required part of the school curriculum, not just a “unit” that they do for a month or two in 4th grade. We’re trying to make an edible schoolyard, but have run up against unbelievable obstacles with the administration. Teachers resist because they’re under pressure to prepare students for standardized tests. It’s too bad.
Jen — It certainly would be a useful skill to learn. Parents don’t have to wait for the school to educate their kids about gardening though. I used to garden with my grandma and I learned so much from her, not to mention how much I enjoyed the extra attention.
Fern, you are full of all kinds of amazing ideas! The other problem I’m sure you’ve heard of is how our taste buds acclimate to what we’re eating. So if you eat a lot of salt in your food, everything tastes bland without it. But if you ween yourself off salt, your taste buds re-adjust and everything is delicious without it. I think this probably applies to our kids too. (I wish I could remember where I read this, so I can send a link… I’ll look around for it and get back to you!)
Not only do we have to adjust their food palate, but we have to make them appreciate the science and nature behind our food. Thumbs up to that!
Kaci — Good point about the taste bud acclimation. Sugar is another “flavor” that we get desensitized to and then eat way more than we need. Once I cut out a bunch of candy and junk food, I was able to appreciate more naturally sweet tastes, like tomatoes, which used to taste bland.
Hi
Great site! I couldn’t agree with you more. I was shocked to find that local companies like A&W and the local Pizza company deliver hot meals to some schools a couple of times a week – i.e. you can order a wrap with a carton of orange juice – or a slice of pizza etc….surely we shouldn’t be promoting these companies in our schools?
Yes they are yummy (on occasions) but surely we should be promoting tasty healthy treats/gardening and cooking – rather than fast food as a meal?
Maybe i’m going mad but it just shocked me they were in with the schools on this!
Im growing a veggie garden for the kids to a) learn whats good for the season, b) to have the joy of picking to the pan and c) for saving costs.
I hope it rubs off on them – I won’t force it – we’ll have the odd treat but education I guess on this subject begins at home.
Thanks for a great site.
N
Nats
Nats–I can’t say I’m shocked, but it is rather disappointing that schools are serving fast food for lunch.
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