Growing Youth Growing Food: How Vegetable Gardening Influences Young People's Food Consciousness and Eating Habits

Much attention is currently being paid to rising rates of obesity, especially among youth. In this context, garden-based education can have a role in improving public health. A qualitative study conducted at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) Children's Garden provides supporting evidence for the claim that growing vegetables can improve the nutrition behavior of young gardeners. It finds that positive social interaction during gardening, harvesting, sharing, preparing, and eating produce may influence young people's food consciousness and eating habits. Recommendations are made for using the social interaction in garden-based learning settings to positively influence youth's food consciousness and nutrition.