I have two children ages 3 and 11. The three-year old’s diet consists of Pirates Booty, gluten-free coffee cake and gluten-free pretzels. The 11 year-old’s diet is a little better but like her daddy, she does not load up her plate with fresh produce that often. I decided this spring I had had enough of their crappy diets and I went on a mission to figure out how to get fruits and veggies into their cute little tummies. The plan was to garden. If the kids enjoyed the process (and how could they not?), they would most likely want to garnish their plates with their own desserts. :-) Gardening is a brilliant way to involve the entire family in the process of learning about food and nutrition. The excuses I hear from most people, (including myself) are that it’s time consuming, too dirty and that they don’t have enough land. I found a solution.  The Tower Garden! Happy Birthday to me! My husband surprised me on May 20^th. Now, as a vegan, the staples in my diet can be grown in my own home with no mess! We do not have a huge plot of land to grow a “real” garden so the Tower Garden seemed like the perfect alternative. No dirt. No mess. Compact. Convenient. I just planted my produce last week and can’t wait to watch it grow! Lettuces, Kale, Green Beans, Snap Peas, Zucchini, Watermelon, Dill, Basil, Parsley, Mint, Cucumbers, Tomatoes and more! You don’t have to be a vegan to teach your children the magnificence of nature. When they are able to participate in the experience of seed to plant, they develop a different relationship to their food. Children are more likely to take ownership and are more likely to eat vegetables they have personally grown. With farming lands so removed from urban dwellings many kids grow up with the belief that their food come from markets. There is a disconnect between the food, where it comes from and how it is grown. Fresh, home-grown veggies are way better, tastier and healthier than mass produces store bought veggies anyway. The quality is unparalleled. The cry for children to eat more nutritious foods at home and at school has hatched the Farm To Table Movement over the past several years. School systems are incorporating gardening into the curriculum in an attempt to involve the children in the food they eat at school. The movement has been wildly successful. Children are learning better eating habits and are discovering that eating whole foods IS crucial to their overall health and well-being. With my new home gardening tool, I can teach my children this relationship at home as well. I'm really excited about having fresh vegetables at my disposal. :-) I have given you a great resource for gardening that doesn't require a plot of land or practically any time at all. I’d love to hear from you as to whether you are already gardening or whether this may be the solution to your excuses as well. Please leave a comment in the box below. If you have friends that are looking for the perfect gardening tool, please share it on FB, PIN it or Tweet it. P.S. if you are interested in hearing more about where I found my Tower Garden, click HERE. XO, Hayley This article was originally featured in MindBodyGreen