So, you want to provide your family with delicious, healthy food; you also want to save time and money.  By now you have likely learned that buying the fresh and organic ingredients at the grocery story come at a much higher price than the less healthy, easier alternatives.  Fortunately, with a recent shift towards the ‘Green’ movement, organic gardening alternatives have become more easily accessible than they have been in a number of years with items like raised garden bed kits and other gardening tools.  Jump aboard the Garden-Train and start feeding your family healthier dishes at a fraction of the cost.

1. Nutrients

Shopping in the grocery store can be a struggle, however, with the menagerie of processed foods and preservative packed snacks. The few items you can find that are fresh and organic tend to come at a high price tag.

By growing your own food, you can ensure that the preservatives and hormones are left on the grocer’s shelf. When growing your own food, you know exactly what’s going into it, which allows you to avoid all those nasty pesticides used by commercial farms.

Organically, Home-grown fruits and vegetables are more likely to contain a higher amount of nutrients than those grown commercially. For example, the tomatoes you purchase in the store most likely have been picked before they are ripe. They then use a gas to artificially ripen them or freeze them in order keep a longer shelf life; this leaves them with fewer nutrients than they would’ve had if they had grown to maturity.  Use an organic compost or topsoil such as humus compost to achieve lush and plentiful crops this very season.

2. Time

Imagine making a salad with fresh lettuce from your garden, and a tomato picked right off the vine. Growing your own vegetables, fruits, and spices allows you to access fresh ingredients while cutting out a major step… driving to the store.  How many times have you found yourself creating a menu and needing to make a grocery store run for a single spice or item?  By having a plethora of items right in your backyard, all you’ll need to do is step outside to access the most delicious, freshest ingredients available.

Furthermore, these fruits and veggies make the perfect quick snack for your family!  Just grab the fresh watermelon from your patch or slice a tomato for a good ‘ol tomato sandwich.

3. General Wellness

Gardening is both fun and rewarding, and maintaining something even as simple as an herb garden can help to improve your family’s overall wellness.  Gardening is an activity in which you can get the whole family involved.  Getting everyone outside and moving is good for blood circulation and a great source of exercise. It has been said that one hour of gardening can burn as many calories as a 3.5 mile walk. The best part is that you don’t even realize you’re getting a workout! Being in the sun also helps your body produce more vitamin D, which is good for strong and healthy bone growth.

4. Appreciation

It is so easy for members of the family to have a lack of knowledge about where their food comes from and what a process of eating a hearty meal truly is.  When something takes more thought or work, it is always much more appreciated as opposed to when something is simply handed over.  Having your children help out in a garden will likely even get them excited to try more fruits and vegetables, because they have seen them grow from start to finish.

5. Save Lettuce… aka Cash

One final benefit of starting your own garden is the effect it will have on your pocket book. Think about how much money you spend on fresh vegetables and fruits every time you go into a grocery store. It’s a pretty hefty sum. Having a garden will allow you to be self-sufficient for those products that are so vital to your family’s health. Food will taste better, your family will be healthier, and you’ll be able to save a fortune in grocery store bills. So grab a packet of seeds and get outside, and see what gardening can do for you and your family!

This article was written exclusively for Cluttered Genius by Soil3, an organic compost that helps build soil’s components and provides nutrients for topdressing lawns, compost for vegetable gardens, and raised garden bed kits.