Mumsnet users discuss getting their children to understand where food comes from with innocent

[JustineBMumsnet]

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Getting your DC’s to learn about and understand where their food comes from, can be a great way to ensure they are engaged with what they are eating...particularly healthier foods such as veggies and fruit. innocent would love to hear about your own growing experiences, and/or any barriers you may face growing your own food at home.

Here is what innocent has to say: “With 9 out of 10 young people not getting their 5-a-day, we’re on a mission to get kids growing and eating their own veg. Growing at home doesn’t have to be complicated. You just need seeds, soil and a windowsill. In such a fast-moving, instant gratification world, growing their own food also teaches kids the value of patience, and gives them an understanding of where their food comes from. More time getting their hands dirty, less time glued to screens.”

Did you ever grow food with your parents when you were younger? Do you grow your own fruit and/or veg with your children so they can see where it comes from? If you do grow your own food, tell us what works and what doesn’t – and your tips and tricks for growing! Do you grow in the garden, or indoors? Or perhaps you would love to grow your own food but you feel you don’t have enough space?

Whatever your experiences and methods comment on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

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When I was young my dad had a greenhouse and grew his own tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries and some herbs, then as we grew up my brother got his own house and also did the same as dad but had a huge garden and grew apple and pear trees, I had a greenhouse (not any more) I grew cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries, and had a small plot for carrots and potatoes and now my children have started small pots of strawberry plants and window herbs so it does pass on when we make our own foods.

we grew cabbage, runner beans, peas and potatoes, and carrots
all worked well, my father used to put up veg beds and we helped

We only ever grew potatoes at home but we also picked berries to make jam. Now we are like a Market Garden as we have two Greenhouses, growing everything from Tomatoes to Courgettes, also have Fruit trees & bushes along with our Grape Vines. The kids love helping with the planting & Harvesting & also enjoy the fruits of our labour, great fun for all.

We grow herbs on our window sill in the kitchen. My mum and dad were the type who used to constantly say 'eat your fruit and veg...it doesn't grow on trees you know!?' - so I was a little confuses there for a while

We grew sweet peas and strawberries with my dad when we were younger.

Yes we have a section of our garden for frowning fruit and vegetables our children love to water the seeds and plant them. We have a variety of things like tomatoes, green peas, potatoes, cucumbers, carrots, strawberries. we also have a pear tree and 2 apple trees one red apples one green apples

I regularly grow my own veg. especially potatoes

When i was child we had a large back-garden, so we grew a lot of fruit (apples, pears, plums, damsons, gooseberries, cherrys) and some vegetables (mainly potatoes and carrots).
Now that we have our own children, we have a much smaller garden. So we grow some fruit (strawberries, mainly) and some veg (peppers, carrots, potatoes, courgettes).
My children are quite interested this, and do like to eat from our small garden.

Grew food as a child, have tried a few times with my kids with tomatoes and strawberries, but generally die or get eaten by bugs, so decided cheaper and easier to buy in Tesco now. LIfe's too short

I was 'press ganged' into helping my dad every year prepare the greenhouse to grow more tomatoes than we could ever consume before they went off!

We grew courgettes, and carrots that always came out misshaped but tasted like the most flavoursome carrots I have ever eaten, still to this day unbeaten

When I was little my parents gave me my own small patch of garden & introduced me to growing easy vegetables like potatoes & carrots. Now, I have apple & pear trees which the children love to harvest then put into my apple store container. We grow strawberries (not many manage to reach the house lol!) tomatoes, gooseberries, plums, rhubarb and blackcurrants. We even grow watercress in the waterfall of the Koi pond. One of the summer past-times is going blackberry picking, then seeing who has the most purple tongue!

We never had a garden when i was a child growing up in London but we did attempt to grow some carrots in a tub but it was a failure... :)

I'm very interested in healthy eating / nutrition so it's regularly a topic of conversation in our house. I think the DC should know where food comes from, how it is cooked, what is costs etc so they are aware. We don't grow our own veg but I do like the idea of it. I think I'm just worried it might be harder than it looks or we might 'fail' which would be disappointing all round!!

Yes as I was born in the mid fifties and brought in a mining village of approximately 200 inhabitants. Each house in the three rows of terrace houses each had its own vegetable garden. I remember that we ate fresh veg every day. We also collected berries to make jam and various fruit pies.

I never did, but our little Grandson does, he has his own part in the greenhouse and his very proud of his tomatoes and runner beans

I was lucky. When I was a child my Mum was a stay at home Mum. We had a small garden but it had an apple tree, a pair tree, a plum tree and Mum also grew strawberries and raspberries. The hardest thing was getting to the fruit before the wasps and bugs did! My backyard is rubbish and I do find it easier to order online as a working, single Mum. In all honesty if I grew fruit or vegetables in a planter it would be giving up time I don't feel I have.

My grandparents grew fruit and vegetables so I grew up learning about where food comes from. I have fond memories of picking tomatoes and gooseberries and eating them all warm from the sun :)

I try to grow a few things and get my daughters to help, things like tomatoes and strawberries. My Dad has an allotment so they help him there as well.

we used to grow tomatoes :)

we grew strawberries as a child and potatoes and loved it. I have just planted some potatoes with my 4 year old and planning to do some more fruit and vegetables soon

Although we lived in a flat with no balcony, my dad showed me how to grow beans as a project for school.
I was very proud to see them sprout a few days later !

I used to love going to my Grandparents when I was young as they lived/worked on an estate so anything that could be grown was grown and my grandmother was the cook so I had first hand access to how each fruit/vegetable was prepared and cooked, something I wish I had paid more attention to, now with my own kids we have a little vegetable plot that we grow tomatoes, sweet peas, potatoes in and have an apple tree that is yet to flower but we hope for fruit this year.

Yes we had a small area of our back garden for growing mostly fruit .

My mother always grew herbs and tomatoes and still does. We have a herb garden but as we've only just moved haven't had a chance to buy a greenhouse yet but I'd love to grow my own tomatoes as well

We didn't grow anything whilst I was younger but I recently have my first family home with big garden. I plan to grow vegetables with my daughter.