Leafy Greens in the Garden

One of the best parts of growing food in your garden is being able to step outside for a quick snack. Whether it’s picking some berries off the bush, grabbing a pea off the vine, or picking some fresh lettuce leaves for a salad. In our Learning Garden here at The Environmental Center, we have planted lots of yummy snacks like peas and leafy greens in our after school Garden Club. Planting these yummy snacks can teach young learners the importance of eating healthy foods, and it also teaches them where their food comes from! This week’s Lunch Bite Highlight focuses on growing salad greens in the garden such as lettuce, spinach, kale, arugula, and more! These leafy greens are a yummy addition to any meal such as a large salad, or maybe a big sandwich.

Eating a salad seems to be the typical answer when it comes to a healthy diet. But sometimes salads can get a little bland or boring. But growing vegetables and leafy greens in your garden can provide you with exactly what you need to spice up your lunch salad. Carrots are a commonly grown vegetable in at-home gardens. Full of vitamins and minerals, carrots add color and flavor to your salad. Radishes are another salad favorite, their almost spicy taste adds a zing of flavor, not to mention another bright color to your meal (remember the saying that you should add lots of color to your plate?). Adding kale, spinach, or cabbage to your salad gives a variety of nutrients and flavor. Mixing greens can also help introduce young ones to different vegetables. 

Here at The Environmental Center, planting vegetables such as leafy greens, peas, cauliflower, and more are important to understanding where our food comes from, along with eating foods that will benefit our bodies. Sometimes when it comes down to eating a vegetable or a bag of chips, it can be tricky to explain to our young learners why one is better than the other. Kale chips are a healthy alternative to potato chips. Yummy berries can provide a sweet alternative to other treats. We are very lucky to have a garden here at The Environmental Center to grow all these yummy foods, but with some planning and time, you can have these plants in your very backyard too!

For more Lunch Bite Flyers with activities in both English and Spanish, click here.