My dear Nan turns one hundred this year. She’s mobile on her own two feet, she has beautiful skin and perfect teeth, all of which are her own, and gentlemen twenty to thirty years her junior think she’s a bit of all right. Nan enjoys a glass of wine, loves butter and eats everything. And the trick is, it’s all in moderation and it’s mostly all natural.
Nan grew up on a farm that had a wonderful vegetable patch which she helped tend. She finished school when she was twelve, but armed with the knowledge she gained from being out in the veggie patch, she could win Masterchef and take first prize the at Chelsea Flower Show.
While our grandmother’s were being taught important survival skills, they were also eating real food. And the great news is we can too. And, it’s something we can pass on to our kids to give them the nutritional benefits that real food delivers.
When children figure out that they can play an important role in growing their own fruit and vegetables, they feel a sense of responsibility and achievement. They want to help and be involved. Watering, weeding and sorting out pesky snails is satisfying, and its fun!
And it gets even better. Studies show that children who are involved in growing their own fruit and vegetables are more likely to give them a try. When they understand how the food grows and where it comes from, they are more interested in it, and that’s a big win for parents.
The backyard veggie patch is back. It’s a step forward to being sustainable and doing something good for our family. The veggie patch is making a renaissance. It’s the new ensuite – every home should have one. And I bet if Nan’s Mum could see that, she’d be all for this reinstated institution.
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