Baptist Health Experts to Host Home Gardening Webinars for National Nutrition Month

As part of National Nutrition Month, Community Health wellness dietitians at Baptist Health will team up with Baptist Health’s Grow2Heal program for two upcoming webinars on gardening, according to Grow2Heal program manager Thi Squire.

“More and more people are interested in starting their own vegetable gardens now and our ‘In the Garden’ series will focus on the basics of starting a home garden and composting food waste into nutrient-dense soil for your garden,” says Ms. Squire, who runs Grow2Heal gardens at a number of Baptist Health hospital campuses across South Florida, including the original garden at Homestead Hospital, launched in 2014. “That has become a popular field trip visit for children from local schools,” she adds.

Thi Squire working in the Grow2Heal garden at Baptist Health Homestead Hospital

Joining Ms. Squire for both “In the Garden” webinars will be Community Health wellness dietitians Carla Duenas, RD and Lucette Talamas, RD, both of whom are recognized nutrition experts. They say that this year’s theme for National Nutrition Month is “Fuel for the Future.” According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, “eating with sustainability in mind is a tasty way to nourish ourselves during every phase of life and protect the environment.”

Carla Duenas, RD, Community Health wellness dietitian for Baptist Health

There are many benefits for both adults and children that have been associated with gardening, Ms. Duenas notes. These include helping increase physical activity, reduce stress, improving emotional wellbeing, and improving diet of adults and children if more fruits and veggies are eaten.

“Nutritionally, home gardens are a convenient way to increase access to produce while saving on grocery costs,” says Ms. Talamas. “Herbs are a great way to add flavor to home dishes without having to add too much salt. While taste is subjective, there is nothing like the taste of a home grown (or locally sourced) food.”

Lucette Talamas, RD, Community Health wellness dietitian for Baptist Health

Ms. Squire adds that the benefits of composting include reducing food waste, adding nutrients to the soil, and reducing the need for pesticides or fertilizers. “And the best part is it requires minimal effort, equipment or expertise and it can be done on a low budget as well,” she says.

The first webinar on How to Start Your Own Garden is scheduled for Monday, March 27^th at 12 p.m., according to Ms. Squire, followed by a webinar on Composting scheduled for Thursday, March 30^th at 12 p.m. Attendance for each is free but registration is required, she says (use Zoom ID: 926 1343 3831 and password: zoom).