Buying organic food is often a little more expensive, but you can make your budget stretch farther with just a little bit of effort. Since produce is one of the most expensive items you will buy, why not grow your own at home? There are many healthy foods that you can re-grow right in your own kitchen, some with nothing but water.
Here are 21 foods to grow at home to save money and enjoy better health:
- 1. Almost any Leafy Green that still has the lower stalk attached will re-grow in water. This includes romaine lettuce, Bok Choy, cabbage, and more. Use the leaves off the top of the stem, and then place the stem in a bowl of water in a sunny place in your kitchen. In a few days you’ll start to see new shoots coming through the center, and in a few weeks, you’ll have re-grown that delicious leafy plant to harvest for dinner.
- 2. Celery grows again very well from the stalk. Just put the base in some room-temperature water near sunlight, and watch it grow. In about a week you’ll see new celery begins to grow along the base.
- 3. Lemongrass is easy to grow. Simply use the top stalk, and place the root back in a glass of water. Once your lemongrass has been in water for about a week and you see new roots forming, transfer it to a pot with good organic soil. It will grow like any other grass, and then you can enjoy this flavorful and nutritious herb numerous times.
- 4. Bean Sprouts – These little delicacies are wonderful in so many dishes, and you can grow them easily in a clear jar with a little water or a shallow dish. Just be sure to drain them and add fresh water every few days so that they grow without becoming slimy.
- 5. Avocados – Don’t throw the pit away! Instead, replant the seed and sooner or later, you’ll have new avocadoes to eat. This is one of nature’s most complete foods, but it can often cost as much as much $3 for a single organic avocado – so it’s worth growing your own. Here are some health benefits of avocados.
- 6. Potatoes – Whether you crave sweet potatoes or Idaho, you can re-grow them in your own garden! New potatoes can even be grown from the peelings – as long as they have eyes on them.
- 7. Ginger Root – Ginger root will grow well too. Just place your roots with the buds facing up in a pot of soil (with sunlight and water) and you can have ginger on hand for all your recipes year-round. Check out these health benefits of ginger for motivation to grow.
- 8. Turmeric Root – Turmeric will grow just like ginger. Just plant the rhizomes in the ground and watch them grow. You can use 90 percent of fresh turmeric root, and use the rest to grow a new batch.
- 9. Pineapple – By cutting off the top of the pineapple and replanting it, you can re-grow a new one. It may take up to an entire year, but since you were likely going to throw that part out anyhow, why not attempt to grow a new tropical fruit?
- 10. Garlic – Have some garlic that’s been lying around awhile that has started to grow new shoots? Simply plant them and you’ll have fresh garlic in as little as three months.
- 11. Tomatoes – Another plant to re-grow from seed is tomatoes. If you’ve tasted a wonderful organic variety from a grocer or from the farmer’s market, simply save the seed and regrow them. Tomatoes require lots of sun and water, but they usually provide a bumper crop from just a dozen seeds.
