Vegetables, especially greens – the darker the better – are arguably the healthiest foods on the planet, and you can grow enough to feed your family in a very small space, with costs literally only pennies for a family meal.
What are superfoods, and why are they so important – Dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, Swiss chard, spinach, collards, bok choy, mustard, romaine lettuce, turnip and beet greens, arugula, carrots, including the tops, watercress, and microgreens are important as:
- Great sources of nutrition, including vitamins A, B, C, E, & K, as well as iron, magnesium, potassium, and calcium.
- High in antioxidants, thus helpful in preventing cancers and heart disease.
- Low in calories and fat, and low glycemic index, helping with weight control and type 2 diabetes.
A good article by the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center details the nutrition they provide and the many health benefits of dark greens here – https://www.ars.usda.gov/plains-area/gfnd/gfhnrc/docs/news-articles/2013/dark-green-leafy-vegetables
Where and when to grow your superfoods – Because these vegetables are hardy or semi-hardy they can be started in the garden 2-3 weeks before the average date of last frost in the spring, and harvesting can continue for several weeks after the first fall frost as well. Combined, these factors can increase your harvest time by as much as 2 months as compared to warm-season crops!
In addition, they all grow to harvestable size quickly, so that you can be eating them within 3 to 5 weeks of planting. And by removing one or two outer leaves every week they will provide a continuous harvest for many months throughout the growing season (more about this below).
And for fresh greens in the winter months, or if you have no garden space at all, you can grow microgreens on a countertop in your kitchen in only 2 weeks! A good source of sprout and microgreen seeds is True Leaf Market in Salt Lake City, Utah – https://trueleafmarket.com/collections/microgreens-kits-and-supplies
How much space is needed, and how many plants do you need to grow – An important feature that makes these vegetables so valuable is that with most of them a single plant – if harvested timely and properly – will continue to produce throughout the growing season. Just remove one or two outer leaves each week from the plant and it will grow new leaves for months! If you neglect to remove leaves as described the plants will produce a seed stalk and seeds, and your harvest will soon be finished.
This means that just a few plants can feed you for the entire growing season. For example, 6 each of kale, chard, collards, and romaine lettuce plants, and 16 each of turnips and beets need just 24 square feet of garden space. Do-able? That’s only 1/1,815 of an acre!
Recommendations for the best sustainable way to grow your superfoods –
Buying six-packs of seedlings from a reputable nursery will save you time and effort, but get them early, before they get root-bound and leggy! Those plants are NOT what you want, and will lead to crop failure. Producing your own seedlings can be done on your own schedule, and allows for choice in varieties, but requires some time, effort, knowledge, and a small investment in facilities and materials.
I have prepared a presentation to teach you what you need to know in order to grow your own seedlings. It’s free and it’s located at – https://growfood.com/learn/
I recommend everyone take advantage of the substantial health benefits, and the financial savings to be gained from growing and eating the healthiest foods on the planet.
Healthy Eating!
Jim Kennard
© Copyright 2025 – Food For Everyone Foundation
