6 Ways to Have Fun with Veggies Outside the Garden

Encourage children to eat more vegetables with these outside-the-garden activities!

1. Buy a cherry tomato plant and care for it this summer. They do well in pots and produce a ton of tomatoes. Try eating them right from the vine, roasted, pureed into a quick sauce or chopped into salsa. Your local hardware store and local nursery will have tomato plants available; some even come with the trellis in the pot; just water and pick!
2. Grow Sprouts. Grab a clean glass jar and toss in a handful of seeds. Rinse daily with fresh water and you’ll be ready to eat sprouts in a few short days. If you use cheese cloth across the top of the jar fastened with a rubber band, the daily rinse and drain is easier.
3. If distancing regulations allow, visit a farm and pick your own. From strawberries in the spring, to peaches in the summer, to apples and pumpkins in the fall, picking your own produce is fun! Find a u-pick near you with this link.
4. Do an art project. Use produce as the inspiration for a painting or photography project. Or slice fruits and veggies and use them to stamp paper.
5. Plant some lettuce seeds in a pot. They are ready to pick in a few short weeks and taste delicious. Lettuce can grow outside or in a sunny window.
6. Visit a farmer’s market. Give your kiddo a few bucks to pick out their own food to try.