Gardening with Kids at Home

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  • 1.  Mental Health Benefits

    Posted 02-10-2025 01:50:00 PM

    Hi there. Our Food and Mood team has a graduate student working with us who is interested in developing 1-pagers about how to grow at home (initially thinking microgreens) and wants to include the brain health/mental health benefits of eating these foods to the infographic. I know I have seen excellent infographics for school gardening and container gardening, but I cannot recall anything linking the foods to mental health benefits. Thinking of ways to build off of this; https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/vitamin-and-nutrients-handout.pdf

    I thought we could start here to ask for folks to share or offer feedback before she gets too far into her efforts. TIA 



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    Traci Pole, MBA, MS
    Senior Regional Advisor
    SAMHSA – Region 8
    US Dept of Health and Human Services
    Denver, CO
    Traci.pole@samhsa.hhs.gov
    Office: 303-844-1205
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  • 2.  RE: Mental Health Benefits

    Posted 3 days ago

    Hi, Traci,

    My idea is to create a one pager entitled: "Grow Microgreens, Grow Your Mind" with the headline "Microgreens: Fresh Growth for Body & Mind"

    Include a section on "How to Grow at Home"

    • Choose seeds: Sunflower, broccoli, radish, pea shoots.

    • Prepare container: Shallow tray, soil or hydroponic mat.

    • Plant & water: Scatter seeds, mist daily.

    • Harvest: Ready in 7–14 days. Snip above soil line.

    Seed → sprout → harvest

    Add a section on nutrients

    • Vitamin C → supports stress resilience  

    • Folate (B9) → helps regulate mood   

    • Iron → supports energy and focus

    • Omega‑3s (if using chia/flax microgreens) → linked to brain health

    Mental Health Benefits

    • Eating nutrient‑dense microgreens can:

      • Support balanced mood and reduce stress

      • Improve focus and cognitive function

      • Encourage healthy routines (gardening as self‑care)

      • Connect families to mindful, restorative practices

    Quick Tips

    • Grow indoors year‑round → low cost, high yield.

    • Involve kids → fun science + nutrition lessons.

    • Add to meals → salads, sandwiches, smoothies.

    And end with 

    • Resource link: SAMHSA Nutrients & Mental Health

    • Community logo + contact info

    • Tagline: "Plant wellness, harvest hope."Perhaps you can use a table like the one below to show the foods, their nutrients, and how they are beneficial to mental health and the brain:

    Food (examples you can grow at home)

    Key Nutrients

    Mental Health / Brain Benefit

    Broccoli microgreens

    Folate (B9), Vitamin C

    Folate supports mood regulation; Vitamin C helps reduce stress and supports neurotransmitter function

    Sunflower shoots

    Vitamin E, Magnesium

    Vitamin E protects brain cells from oxidative stress; Magnesium supports relaxation and reduces anxiety

    Radish microgreens

    Vitamin C, Potassium

    Vitamin C aids stress resilience; Potassium supports nerve signaling and reduces fatigue

    Pea shoots

    Iron, Protein, Folate

    Iron supports energy and focus; Protein provides amino acids for neurotransmitters; Folate supports emotional balance

    Spinach (container gardening)

    Magnesium, Iron

    Magnesium calms the nervous system; Iron supports concentration and reduces brain fog

    Chia or flax sprouts

    Omega‑3 fatty acids

    Omega‑3s are linked to reduced depression risk and improved cognitive function

    I hope this helps.

    Tina



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    Tina Steiner
    Round Rock TX
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    Original Message