Are you a fan of recycling and gardening? So don’t throw away your leftover food! Did you know that it is possible to grow your favorite fruits and vegetables just from food scraps that often end up in the trash? Imagine never having to buy one again? That wouldn’t be luxury!
Because yes, thanks to your food waste, it is completely possible to grow new plants in your vegetable garden! And what could be more satisfying than giving the stems and seeds of our fruits and vegetables a second life, with just a little soil, water and sun?
Here are 12 products that you can easily grow at home from leftover food you already have. Follow our practical advice to reduce your food waste and have fresh products at your fingertips!
1. Celery
Inevitable for a healthy diet, this green vegetable provides all the micronutrients, dietary fibers and vitamins (K, B6, C) essential for good health. Tender and crunchy, its leaves and seeds are an important source of antioxidants that fight cancer and other diseases. Wish you never ran out?
Remove about 5cm from the base of a stalk of celery and place it in a deep bowl filled with water, basting the top daily to keep it moist. Replace the water with fresh water every other day until you notice new roots appearing that start to grow. Then transplant them into the ground.
2. Aromatic herbs
Chives, basil, thyme, dill, coriander, parsley… Our cooked dishes would be very bland without the flavor of these aromatic herbs which enhance the taste of our meals. As a bonus, their significant contribution of vitamin K and chlorophyll helps fight against all free radicals that trigger cardiovascular disease. Very often grown in vegetable gardens, these herbs also have their place today in aromatherapy and phytotherapy. A real relief to have them at home all the time!
Most herbs are propagated by cuttings: cut a node and place the cut part in a pot of water on a windowsill. Change the water daily or every other day until roots emerge, then transplant into a container or soil .
3. Garlic
Very rich in taste and low in calories, garlic is one of the most used ingredients in cooking. Impossible to ignore: it gives flavor to our dishes and proves to be an inexhaustible source of health benefits, thanks to its cocktail of antioxidants.
Garlic is one of the easiest foods to grow from kitchen scraps. Simply take cloves and place them in the ground, pointed side up, spacing them 10-15cm apart. Plant them outdoors in the fall. Plant them indoors in a container any other time and enjoy the medicinal benefits of green garlic.
4. Ginger
Apart from its legendary reputation as an aphrodisiac, ginger is very popular for its unique flavor, its pronounced juicy and slightly spicy taste. Very present in Asian and Oriental cuisines, it is also known for its many therapeutic properties. This powerful anti-inflammatory promotes digestion, reduces migraines, prevents heart disease, limits nausea…and the list goes on! Want to grow it at home?
Soak ginger root in warm water overnight, then plant it in a container, cover it with soil and place it in a sunny spot.
5. Green onions
Green onions – Source: spm
Halfway between the classic onion and chives, the green onion is an excellent source of minerals, vitamins and dietary fibers that facilitate digestion. To banish all intestinal ailments, this is the vegetable you need! So, as long as you do, why not grow it at home?
If you are only using the green part of the onions, save the white part with a small amount of green and place it in water next to the sunny window. Add water regularly or transplant them to a pot with soil for longer use.
6. Lettuce
Light and refreshing, lettuce remains essential in most of our salads. And precisely, its regular consumption is not insignificant for health, since it is a well of virtues: it is equipped with all the minerals, nutrients and vitamins that the body needs. As a bonus, with its high fiber content, lettuce is very satiating and promotes perfect digestion. It will have an ideal place in your vegetable garden!
If you usually discard the rest of a lettuce, separate it from the leaves and place it in a bowl of water. Add water daily or every other day. After two weeks, you will notice the appearance of new fresh leaves!
7. Peppers
Peppers – Source: spm
Eaten raw or cooked, red, green and yellow peppers are part of our daily meals. Beyond their tender, juicy and sometimes spicy flavor, they are an important source of vitamins (A and C), fibers and antioxidants which stimulate intestinal transit, prevent certain cardiovascular diseases and the risk of cancer. Instead of quickly getting rid of their seeds, save them to grow your own peppers at home!
Plant them directly in the ground, and water them regularly. As soon as a new plant emerges, transplant it to a larger container or outdoors, where it will thrive best in direct sunlight and warm temperatures.
8. Potatoes and sweet potatoes
Whether fried or steamed, the potato is surely the most popular food in the world. Certainly, as it is quite caloric, it is better to consume it in moderation. But, even if it is not recommended in diets, it should not be overlooked, because its health benefits are countless: this starch is very rich in potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc and copper. Just that !
To grow potatoes at home, apply this ingenious trick: cut the potatoes into 2-inch pieces and let them dry for a few days. Then sow directly in the ground in early spring and enjoy buttery-tasting homemade potatoes in early to mid-summer.
9. Strawberries
Strawberries – Source: spm
Small red and fleshy fruit, easily recognizable, the strawberry has a slightly sweet and tangy taste that is a delight for pastry chefs. But apart from its sensual aspect, this fruit is very rich in vitamin C, fiber, antioxidants and minerals. Low in calories, strawberries are therefore full of virtues to boost the immune system. Want to have your own strawberry field?
Carefully cut the outer skin (containing the seeds) from the strawberry, or extract the seeds using tweezers. Place the seeds in a container with soil, cover with soil, place in a sunny spot and water regularly. Transplant the strawberry sprouts to a pot or outdoor garden in the spring.
10. Tomatoes
In the same line as the potato, the tomato is essential in our kitchen! It’s hard to imagine a bolognese sauce without tomatoes! Without forgetting all our fresh salads which would not have this unique and fragrant flavor without this vegetable (or fruit in botany). Sometimes crunchy and juicy, sometimes sour or sweet, the tomato is not only hydrating and refreshing, it is full of vitamins and antioxidants. It fights effectively against bad fats and reduces hypertension thanks to its potassium content. What are you waiting for to grow it in your garden?
Simply plant the seeds of your purchased tomato in a small pot, keep well watered on a windowsill. Once the plant reaches several inches tall, transplant it into a larger pot or outdoors.
11. Turmeric
A cousin of ginger, this spice has a peppery flavor capable of enhancing all good simmered dishes. And if its pungent aroma delights the taste buds, you should know that turmeric is excellent for health: thanks to its anti-inflammatory curcumin content, its source of vitamin C and its antioxidants, it prevents chronic pathologies and relieves digestive disorders. . If you want to have them continuously at home, follow this growing method:
Like ginger, turmeric is a rhizome, so you need to plant it sideways to allow its root system to spread out horizontally. A tropical plant, turmeric grows best indoors in most areas. Place it in the warmest place in your home, it prefers temperatures up to 70 or 80 degrees Celsius. So ideally under a heat lamp or get a germination kit. Keep the plant constantly moist, by spraying and watering it regularly. Harvest when the plant begins to dry out after several months.
12. Pineapples
With its juicy and fragrant yellow flesh, the pineapple is one of the most popular tropical fruits in the world! More or less sweet, cooked as a dish or as a dessert, this detox fruit is not only a treat for the palate, it is also a health booster. Rich in fiber, vitamins, manganese and bromelain, pineapple is very satiating and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. How about consuming it without moderation?
Unlike other fruits, pineapples are grown from other pineapples, not seeds. So you will need to take the top part of a pineapple, dry it and plant it. Simply !
