By: Joanna Perdomo, MD, MPH
With the start of spring and Earth Day both happening this month, there is no better time to be thinking about where our fruits and vegetables come from. While large farms supply food to stores and restaurants, gardens are smaller spaces where families and communities can come together to grow and harvest their own delicious and fresh foods.
Did you know that growing your own food has a ton of physical and mental health benefits for the whole family?
When we grow our own food, we eat healthier! Gardening has been linked to eating more fruits and vegetables. Kids especially love to try things that they’ve had a hand in creating. Gardening is also a good source of physical activity. Without even realizing, you squat while planting, use the muscles in your arms to lift bags of soil, and get your heart pumping as you walk outdoors.
In addition to the physical health benefits, gardening is great for your mental health. The act of gardening has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety. Through gardening we also can build social connections that boost our mood.
You don’t need much to start growing food in your own home! Here are some simple gardening projects for your family that can be done in spaces big and small.
- Save the white ends of green onions in a cup of water to grow your own new bunch.
- Plant the leafy top of a pineapple in a pot of soil. With regular watering, sun, and a bit of time, a new pineapple will grow.
- Buy seedlings or already mature herbs from a grocery or garden store and keep them on your windowsill. The leaves can be added to dishes to expose kids to new flavors.
- Seek out community gardens in your area where you can have your own plot of land and learn together with your neighbors about growing your own food.
Gardening not only has physical and mental health benefits, but it can also be a lot of fun! Be on the lookout for a new Food for Salud Garden coming soon to the Nicklaus Children’s main hospital campus where we’ll be growing our very own healthy fruits and vegetables.
Here’s to a beautiful and bountiful spring!
About Dr. Joanna Perdomo
Dr. Joanna Perdomo is a pediatrician who provides care at Nicklaus Children’s Pediatric Care Centers and the medical director of the Office of Community Health. She earned her medical degree from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. Dr. Perdomo completed the Boston Combined Residency Program in Pediatrics, which brings together the training programs of Boston Children's Hospital and Boston Medical Center. She then pursued a fellowship in general academic pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital, during which time she earned a Master of Public Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Her professional interests include health equity, advocacy, and early childhood development.
Dr. Perdomo is board certified in general pediatrics. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and serves on the Continuing Certification Committee for the American Board of Pediatrics. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and she has presented at national conferences.
About Food for Salud
Food for Salud is a multi-faceted initiative launched at Nicklaus Children’s in 2022 that uses the power of food and nutrition to promote the wellbeing of South Florida children and families. There are many benefits to eating well, from disease prevention to overall health and wellness. Food for Salud supports access to nutritious food and brings healthy eating tips and recipes to kids in local schools and to families at various community events throughout the year.