Grow Your Healthy Eating with Fresh Herbs!

If you’re trying to eat healthier, consider fresh herbs your personal cheat code. They have basically zero calories, bring a diverse set of flavors, and contain loads of vitamins and phytonutrients. (Phytonutrients are those super-beneficial anti-inflammatory nutrients, such as carotenoids and flavonoids, that you can only find in plants.) 

This makes them the perfect addition to anyone’s weight loss journey! But you can go even further than just eating fresh herbs—you can grow them yourself!! 

Why should I grow herbs?
 
True, you can buy most fresh herbs at the grocery store. But they can be expensive for how much you get. That’s not great, considering there’s a good chance the herbs will wilt or die before you get a chance to enjoy them all.  

If there are some types of fresh herbs you find yourself consistently picking up each week at the store, consider growing them yourself. Then, when you need the herb, you can just trim off what you need and leave the rest, growing, until next time. With the money you save, you can invest in other healthy ingredients you love or want to try!

Adding fresh herbs can also:

Brighten Your Healthy Meals
Fresh herbs add a lot of flavor to healthy food without relying on salt, sugar, or fat. They can add depth to salads, be the main ingredient in a healthy sauce, or be the final finishing topping for your bowl.

Make Veggies More Appealing
The right herbs can be vegetable-changing, bringing out new dimensions to a vegetable you may have passed on previously. Plus, having herbs on hand might inspire you to cook more low-calorie, high-fiber meals with vegetables that will help keep you full.

Build Your Food IQ
Caring for a little herb garden can help you foster a deeper connection to what you eat. By seeing your food grow and transform into something that nourishes you and your family, you may become more mindful about your food in general. 

So, which herbs should I grow? 

To make the most of your garden space, focus on planting edible herbs that you can get a lot of mileage out of. Take a closer look at some of the most used spices in your pantries or some of your favorite recipes to get a better feel for what will work best for your home.

However, we recommend starting with one, some, or all of the following seven common herbs: 

• Basil: Use basil to garnish pizzas, pastas, and other Italian and Mediterranean dishes—plus in Thai-inspired meals like curries
• Rosemary: This piney herb pairs well with all sorts of meats and poultry and can really elevate a sheet pan of oven-roasted veggies
• Parsley: Balance creamier dishes, mix into soups, or make a chimichurri sauce for your meats with the much-loved parsley
• Cilantro: Find varied uses for this polarizing herb in Latin American foods and South Asian dishes
• Mint: Add that minty-fresh flavor to your food and drinks with mint (just be careful where you plant it—it loves to take over garden beds!)
• Chives: Sprinkle this subtle onion garnish on potato dishes and other savory options
• Dill: Dill can help freshen up Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes and sauces—not to mention are essential for homemade pickles

These versatile herbs are packed with vitamins and phytonutrients and can be found in many recipes across global food cultures. No matter what types of foods you prefer, these herbs can help elevate them.

Additionally, these herbs are forgiving and low-maintenance. New to gardening? Just grab starter plants from your local grocery store or home/garden center, add to soil, water, and ta-da! The beginnings of a beautiful healthy herb garden.

CON-2091-001 5/24