The health benefits of increasing vegetables are tremenous, you have probably heard this all your life.  I’ve talked to many people who hate vegetables as they grew up on the canned versions which often lacked the texture and flavor of fresh vegetables.  That was my experience as a kid.  I was asked to be vegan during my yoga teacher training ten years ago.  I had given up red meat but vegan was too much of stretch so I chose vegetarian.  I continue as I feel better, feel I’m helping the environment and practicing the yoga doctrine of ahimsa – do no harm.  I eat mainly organic and it does cost more.  To me it is worth the health benefits which include providing needed vitamins and minerals including postassium which is missing in the American diet.  Studies have shown vegetables help in protecting against some cancers, and help reduce risk of stroke and heart disease. 

It is much easier to reach for a bag of chips than peel and chop vegetables.  I try to keep prepped veggies in the fridge so it is easy to snack on them.  I use a lot of frozen in the winter.  Some studies have shown because fresh vegetables lose their nutrients over time.  One found green peas losing half their vitamin C in the first 48 hours after picking.  Corn green beans and blueberries also lose a lot of nutrients.  It can be handy to have frozen veggies on hand for use in recipes.

Being a vegetarian, I’ve learned to expand the vegetables I eat.  Some of you know for the last few years I’ve been getting organic farm fresh vegetables from community supported agriculture (CSA) .  I pay up front for 18 weeks of organic produce.  The cost ends up to be less than what you get in the store.  I do have to go to one of the assigned pick up spots on a certain day and only between a specific time no exceptions.  Before the pandemic the CSA I chose (and why I chose it) had boxes of food and I could choose my share from the boxes they set out.  My pickup was in the lobby of a local church.  During the pandemic they changes to a preboxed pickup model.  That is how most of the ones I researched were set up.  We picked up outside right from the truck.  I’ve been splitting the share for a few years now and that has worked out well. 

I missed the very fresh vegetables in the winter so bought an aerogarden.  I’ve already had three salads and been very happy.  There are some real benefits to eating food just picked many studies have shown it has more vitamins and anti oxidants.  Also with all the recalls of produce like romaine lettuce, it is a way to get safer food.  It tells me when I need more water and plant food.  They are not cheap but I got a new one on ebay for a lot less than any others I saw.  The aerogarden tells me when it low on water and needs more plant food.  You could get on that talks to your phone.  Those were a lot more and I did not feel I needed my phone to tell me what my aerogarden is doing. 

Aerogarden from two to four weeks.