So, you made a New Year’s resolution to become healthier. How’s that working for you? 

Taking small steps toward a lifestyle change is what actually works. When something matters, the idea keeps coming back. The problem is we go too big at the start, set ourselves up for frustration and end up quitting, feeling like we failed. 

Put that focus into gardening. It brings physical and mental health benefits and can ease some of the strain on your grocery bill. The best vegetable you can eat is one picked fresh from your own garden, with all its nutritional value intact. Fresh food satisfies what your body is actually asking for. Processed and fried food doesn’t, so you keep eating, taking in more calories and storing more fat. 

There’s also value in the work itself. Digging in the dirt relieves stress. If you’re upset with a situation or a person, go dig a hole in the backyard. Not to bury them, of course. But you can bury your planting mistakes and move on. 

If your routine is fast food or grabbing something on the way home, introducing fresh, prepared meals will take a little adjustment. You have to learn the taste of fresh food, how to prepare vegetables or eat them raw, and how to shift your spending using what you save from eating out. 

Two things matter most: 

First, growing your own food when it isn’t available at the store. You learn how to plan, prepare and figure out what your family actually likes. Gardening gives you food now and, if you have extra, something you can preserve for later. 

Second, family time. Get everyone involved in planting, harvesting and preparing what you grow. A 3-year-old will love pulling a carrot from the ground, washing it and eating it right there. The excitement comes from watching something grow from a seed they planted into something they can eat. 

After a long day, everyone comes in tired, hungry and a little on edge. Planning helps. Sit down together, build a menu for the week, make a shopping list and prep what you can ahead of time. It cuts down the time it takes to get a meal on the table. 

A lot of kids today are disconnected from where food comes from. A Master Gardener once gave a talk to a group of young children about apples growing in orchards. A 6-year-old asked, “Do all apples grow on trees?” It’s a reminder of what many kids see now, fruit coming off a table at the grocery store. 

Local schools in Maricopa are working to change that by adding gardens on campus. It teaches responsibility, builds social skills and gives kids a sense of accomplishment. It’s also a good opportunity for adults to volunteer and help teach. 

Grow vegetables and reap the rewards. 

Harriet Phelps is a Pinal County Master Gardener. This content first appeared in the May 2026 edition of InMaricopa Magazine.