Let’s grow some veg for National Allotment Week,
We promise it’ll be one juicy treat!
Fresh herbs on the balcony and apples in the tree,
We have no doubt with one bite you’ll definitely agree!
We’re always looking for ways of maintaining a fresh and balanced diet for us and our kids – so why not start from home? National Allotment Week is highlighting the importance of growing your own food, and incorporating a big bundle of fruit and vegetables into our lives on the edge of our own doorsteps. The campaign lasts from 13-19th August, so now is the chance to start thinking about what’s best to grow and how we’re going to raise our children’s awareness of where our food is produced. We’ve put together a handy guide of which vegetables we think are quick, easy, and tasty to grow for busy mums and inpatient kids! Let’s take a look…
1. Radishes
Radishes are easy peasy to grow, and can be grown all year round! For a fresh and crisp
radish, we suggest growing from May to October.
Growing time: Nice and quick. Only 4 weeks to grow!
Care: Make sure to always prepare radishes before eating. Soak them, wash them, chop
them.
Nutritional benefits: Radishes have a few hidden health benefits too. Do you ever fancy
a stress-free week? Well, the potassium in radishes has been connected to reducing
blood pressure.
Serving suggestions for kids: Radishes can be a fantastic crunchy addition to a salad.
Top tip: use radish slices to make a face in the salad for your little ones!
2. Lettuce
Lettuce is a crop that can be grown in cooler seasons. As it grows pretty fast, staggering
your harvest is best.
Growing time: Most varieties of lettuce takes only 45-55 days to harvest. Not long at
all.
Care: After harvest, you’re able to keep lettuce in your refrigerator for up to 10 days in a
loose plastic bag.
Nutritional benefits: Lettuce has been linked to lowering cholesterol levels and
providing a supply for antioxidants. Who would have thought that?!
Serving suggestions for kids: Lettuce can be the base of any salad. Make up a colourful
rainbow salad bowl with some tasty tuna to attract the kids!
3. Baby Carrots
These small root veggies grow so quickly. Baby carrots can be grown directly into
garden beds, but great results can also be produced by using just a container!
Growing time: Harvest 55-65 days after planting. Super quick!
Care: Try and avoid using garden soil as this will hold back the growth. Use sandy soil
and add compost when possible.
Nutritional benefits: Carrots are very high in Vitamin A – this promotes good vision, and is an important factor for healthy growth and a strong immune system. Let’s keep the sniffles away for Autumn/Winter!
Serving suggestions for kids: Add to a homemade soup or stew for maximum slurp
factor!
4. Peas
Sweet, delicious and green. What’s not to love? Well, we all know peas aren’t the party
favourite with kids. Growing your own might make peas much more exciting!
Growing time: Minimum 12 weeks
Care: Be gentle when harvesting peas. Start from the bottom of the plant and work
upwards. Try not to pull the plant either, cut the stems at ground level to allow the
roots to release lots of goodness for the next crop that grows!
Nutritional benefits: Vitamin C is found in peas which helps in the production of
collagen, which keeps our skin looking firm!
Serving suggestions for kids: Add your home-grown peas to your spaghetti bolognese
for a drop of sweetness and crunch.
We hope we’ve inspired you to start growing your own veggies! To find out more about National Allotment Week 2018 take a look here.
What have you been up to? We’d really love to know! Someone else might love it, and really want to go! If you’ve got ideas, suggestions or reviews, you can shout all about it on whatever channel you choose!
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