With spring here, now is a great time to begin planning your home garden. Planting a garden is a great way to save money and to know where your food is coming from. Plus, it’s something that the whole family can do together! Studies have shown that children who help grow fruits and vegetables will eat significantly more of them. Eating what you grow can be a fun experience for the entire family!

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends using the “diabetes plate method” by filling half of your nine-inch plate with non-starchy vegetables. Non-starchy vegetables promote fullness and provide fiber, along with vitamins, minerals and fewer calories and carbohydrates. Non-starchy vegetables include green beans, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower and spinach ... to name a few! Consider including some of these non-starchy vegetables when you plan your garden.

Once you have harvested your garden, consider trying out the recipe below from the ADA’s Food Hub:

Garden Harvest Soup

Yield: 2 servings
Serving Size: 1 ¼ cups

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ¼ cup finely chopped onion
• 2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 Tablespoon shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups uncooked chopped vegetables (any combination of: carrots, green beans, bell peppers, yellow summer squash or zucchini)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
• 1 cup freshly chopped spinach

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat coating the bottom of the pan. Cook the 2 cups of
chopped vegetables, onion and seasoning blend for 8-10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the spinach. Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition facts (per serving):

Calories 95, Protein 3 grams, Total Fat 3.5 grams, Saturated Fat 1 gram, Cholesterol <5 mg, Sodium 200 mg, Total Carbohydrate 13 grams and Dietary Fiber 4 grams.

Submitted by: Aultman Diabetes Education and Nutrition Therapy
References: www.eatright.org and www.diabetesfoodhub.org