Get Scrapy: How Food Scraps Can Improve Your Health and Wealth!

March is National Nutrition Month! Jumpstart this month by focusing on eating more veggies AND saving money! Did you know that you can actually regrow certain foods from the scraps that you would normally throw away? This not only helps to reduce food waste, save money on groceries AND also allows you to grow your own fresh produce at home without the need to purchase new seeds or seedlings. Let’s explore some common foods that can be regrown from their scraps, including how to regrow them and some tips for success. So, let's dive in and learn how you can turn your food scraps into a source of fresh and healthy produce!

Lettuce: Lettuce can be regrown from the leftover stem. Cut off the base of the lettuce head and place it in a shallow bowl of water, making sure that the water covers the bottom of the stem. Change the water every other day and keep the bowl in a sunny spot. In about a week, you should see new leaves growing from the center of the stem. Once the new leaves are several inches long, you can transplant the lettuce to soil.

Green onions: Green onions can be regrown from the white bulb at the end of the stem. Cut off the white bulb and place it in a shallow jar or glass of water, making sure that the water covers the bottom of the bulb. Change the water every other day and keep the jar in a sunny spot. In about a week, you should see new green shoots growing from the bulb. Once the shoots are several inches long, you can use them for cooking or transplant them to soil.

Celery: Celery can be regrown from the bottom of the stalk. Cut off the bottom of the stalk, leaving about an inch of celery attached. Place the celery in a shallow bowl of water, making sure that the water covers the bottom of the stalk. Change the water every other day and keep the bowl in a sunny spot. In about a week, you should see new leaves growing from the center of the celery. Once the new leaves are several inches long, you can transplant the celery to soil.

Potatoes or sweet potatoes: Potatoes and sweet potatoes can be regrown from pieces of the potato itself. Cut a potato or sweet potato into 2-inch pieces, making sure each piece has at least one eye. Let the pieces dry for a day or two, and then plant them in soil with the eye facing up. Keep the soil moist and in a sunny spot. In about a week, you should see sprouts growing from the top of the potato pieces. Once the sprouts are several inches long, you can transplant the potato to a larger pot or into the ground.