It is a known fact that kids are more likely to try new foods if they have grown it themselves. It can be lots of fun and also teaches them about where their food comes from, the joys of nature and the rewards of nurturing something.

You really don’t need to have a large space to grow your own food. You can use methods such as companion planting to maximise space and growing potential. Many vegetables, fruits and herbs will do perfectly fine in pots and window boxes. Herbs and lettuce will do well on sunny windowsills and if you have a conservatory, you will find peppers, tomatoes and aubergines will grow well.

Nor do you need to spend much to grow your own food. Seeds are very cheap and you can also harvest your own seeds from your supermarket fruit, which can be very fun to do with kids and watch their amazement as a new pepper or tomato plant grows!

You can also reuse plastic tubs, yogurt pots and toilet roll holders as seed trays and rather than buying pots, use old vases, pots and pans or perhaps tea cups for your herbs!

So go on, there really is no excuse! If you haven’t tried growing your own food before, give it a try and see how much fun you and your kids could have.

We will soon be sharing information and ideas about how you can put some of the above ideas into practice.

Below you will find simple recipes that you can make with kids using your homegrown produce. We hope you enjoy!