It is a known fact that most families do not purchase enough of the good foods, or the food that is good for them. This is not because they can’t afford it, it is because the food they do buy costs more per energy calorie and does less to nourish them, when the things like fruit and vegetables, proper grains and wholesome natural food sources, may cost more per meal, but actually cost less in providing total needed nutrition. I.E. it takes less nutritious food to feed you and thus actually costs less to eat healthy. This is without factoring in the cost of medical services and medicines to fight off poor health caused by poor nutrition and obesity from unhealthy quick fad foods.
Again, it also costs more to manufacture and deliver the modern fad foods, market, and sell the brands, and hold a market share; all are factors in food prices.
There are few brand named veggies, or fruits which are sold by the pound not by the label, unless they have been reprocessed and packaged.
So growing your own can be greatly less expensive, pound for pound, label for label, saving dollars to purchase other items needed.
Many families cannot afford to not do this, but can actually afford container gardening.
So most families do not eat enough of the nutritious vegetables our bodies need to be healthy, thinking they cost too much or do not taste good. This is especially true with children because the vegetables purchased in grocery stores really do not taste that good and there is no ‘fun factor’ like you get growing your own vegetables. Obesity is a problem with a substantial percentage of our children. Companies creatively market to children ‘programming’ them to eat their processed food. Another message is ‘ For only 39 cents more you can have your meal super sized which is the best value’. You definitely are not getting 39 cents worth of good food. We want to change that message and it can start from within the family.
I had so much fun enjoying my garden with my daughter that I did not really grasp what she got out of my experiment until later. Now she is 8 years old and loves all vegetables with the exception of hot peppers, which is completely understandable. When I ask her what treat she wants after dinner she will choose something healthy. ‘Dad can I have some sugar snap peas for my treat?’ You do not know how happy that makes me to not have to verbally wrestle with my daughter: ‘Eat your vegetables and then you can have a treat’. That is something I or my wife never have to say because she loves vegetables. She learned that love at an early age from eating fresh sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, spinach and bell peppers. (yes, green bell peppers just like an apple, seeds and all) when she was in the garden with me.
This is part of a healthy lifestyle she will maintain throughout her lifetime because she learned how to enjoy vegetables at an early age and understands how important eating healthy is for your body. It is a lesson and lifestyle that sometimes is so hard to teach children. Planting your own garden and getting your children involved is a great way to accomplish what so many parents try to say: ‘Eat your vegetables…’
This is why we are invested in making life changing approaches to our products and what Sydneys Green Garden is really all about.