Teach Children to Grow Food by Starting a Family Garden

Establishing healthy habits in children is important, and that includes teaching them to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. One of the best ways to get kids interested in healthy foods and to teach them more about the nutritional benefits of plant-based eating is to start a family garden and grow your own produce.

There are fulfilling public health jobs that can allow you to promote healthy eating and teach children how to start their own fruit and vegetable gardens. If you’re interested in world health, and earning your MS in Health Education and Promotion from a global health education program, read on to learn more.

Growing Gardens and Good Eating Habits

Health educators agree that the best way to get kids to eat healthy foods is to get them involved at a young age. This can involve planning meals, grocery shopping, and helping with cooking. Whether you have a young chef with an adventurous palate or a picky eater hesitant to eat vegetables, starting a family garden can be educational and fun.

Children love to take care of gardens and watch seeds grow into plants, and they can become natural farmers with a little help. It can be so easy to grow your own food. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

• Start small. If you’re new to gardening, pick two to three plants in your first season. You can expand your plot and plant selection as you become more comfortable and experienced.
• Plant the right mix. Cherry tomatoes, snow peas, radishes, carrots, strawberries, and pumpkins are delicious and can grow easily with the right care. Be sure to add a few sunflowers and edible flowers to add color and beauty to your plot.
• Set a watering schedule. Teaching children about the importance of regular garden maintenance is an important lesson.
• Find recipes that use foods from your garden. Do some research with your child to find delicious recipes that call for some of your homegrown ingredients. Bringing your bounty from garden to table can be incredibly rewarding for kids.
• Share your bounty. If your plants give you a big yield, be sure to share what you can’t eat with friends, family, and neighbors. This can help reinforce your child’s sense of community and pride in their hard work.

Become a Professional With a Health Education and Promotion Degree

If health education is important to you, then earning your master’s degree can help you land one of today’s many rewarding public health jobs. Walden University’s MS in Health Education and Promotion program can help you further your health education and earn a degree online. Improved world health begins with great health educators who are trained to teach healthy behaviors and prevent illness in individuals and communities.

Walden’s online master’s in health education and promotion degree program is part of one of the largest suites of public health programs available online. Gain the skills to empower individuals to adopt and maintain healthy behaviors as you earn a degree from an accredited online university.

Reflecting the Seven Areas of Responsibility for Health Educators outlined by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Walden’s MS in Health Education and Promotion program can prepare you to sit for the national Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES) exams. Get started today.

Walden University is an accredited institution offering an MS in Health Education and Promotion degree program online. Expand your career options and earn your degree using a convenient, flexible learning platform that fits your busy life.

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.