These are the tastiest budget-friendly vegetables you can easily grow in your garden!
We know that it’s important to eat lots of veggies to be healthy, happy, and thriving, but let’s face it: with inflation at its peak, our favorite ones are more expensive than ever. And they’re not that flavorful either. But I’m here to help you!
For the last couple of years, I’ve been on a mission to find the best budget-friendly vegetables that can be easily grown in a small garden, and I found them. Besides helping you save money, growing your own produce also helps the environment, as well as making your meals more colorful and nutritious.
If you don’t know where to start, keep reading, because I will share my best tips with you! Without further ado, here are the best budget-friendly vegetables for your garden!
1. Tomatoes
…Even though it’s not a vegetable, we typically use it for savory meals, so we had to include it in this list!
There’s no salad without at least one juicy, sweet, and plump tomato! But if you go to the farmer’s market or the grocery store, the price might make you think twice before purchasing. However, you can now easily grow this budget-friendly fruit in your garden.
It doesn’t require much space to grow and is ideal for a tiny garden and even balconies. A tomato plant will take around 12 weeks until it’s ready for harvest. And here’s the best thing: besides this rather quick growing period, your plant will produce fresh and delicious tomatoes every day for up to six years. Just imagine how much money you’ll save and how tasty your meals will be!
2. Asparagus
If you go to the grocery store, you know asparagus isn’t exactly a budget-friendly vegetable. But not anymore! You can save a ton of money by growing this produce yourself. However, you need a lot of patience with this one, because asparagus can take up to two years to be ready for harvest.
On the other hand, it’s totally worth the wait since your plant will continue to produce veggies for up to 20 years. I can only imagine eating a delicious meal of salmon and asparagus. Oh, my mouth is already watering!
Keep reading, because we have many budget-friendly vegetables to talk about today! Your garden will be a produce oasis!
3. Lettuce
If you love eating salad, you need to grow lettuce in your garden! It will have 10 times more flavor than the one you get in the store, and it will fuel your meals with vitamin A, making your skin, eyes, and bones stronger.
One seed packet, such as one of these, will supply enough for five months. Even though lettuce isn’t expensive, saving and enjoying a better taste is always a good idea!
4. Potatoes
Potatoes are one of the most delicious budget-friendly vegetables, and you can’t go wrong with growing them in your garden! According to professional gardeners, a single potato plant can produce around 9–10 potatoes. Believe it or not, the average seed pack with five seeds can grow up to 50 potatoes, and it doesn’t cost more than $5.
When your delicious potatoes are ready for harvest, which will take around 80 to 100 days, you can eat them with some garlic and parsley and some grilled chicken breast, and you’ll have a delicious and healthy meal. Don’t forget about a fresh tomato salad, and your taste buds will be in heaven!
5. Curly kale
Which one of these delicious, budget-friendly vegetables would you like to grow in your garden? If none of these were for you, keep reading to discover other veggies that will make your tummy happy!
If you want to add more greens to your diet, curly kale is the perfect budget-friendly vegetable for you! It’s delicious, healthy, low in calories, and amazing for salads, soups, and many other tasty and nutritious meals. A pack of $2 seeds takes six weeks to grow. Just think about how much curly kale you’ll ever need for only a couple of bucks.
TIPS: If you crave chips but don’t want to consume trans fats and oils, you can make kale chips at home. Wash your greens, dry the leaves completely, and then massage them with olive oil, flaked sea salt, and nutritional yeast to add a cheesy flavor. Put them on a tray and bake for 15-20 minutes at 300 degrees F. It’s a great snack for parties, too! Delicious, healthy, and full of fiber, vitamins B6, C, and K, magnesium, calcium, copper, and manganese.
6. Broccoli
Do you like eating broccoli? Then you know this veggie isn’t exactly cheap at grocery stores. However, with a little bit of patience, you can grow this budget-friendly vegetable in your home garden. Broccoli will take around eight to 12 weeks to grow and be ready for harvest, and it will be delicious. Believe it or not, each plant will give you two pounds of these green veggies, so imagine how much money you’ll save.
7. Bell peppers
I don’t know where you live, but in California, bell peppers got pretty expensive both at grocery stores and farmer’s markets. The good news is that you can easily grow this tasty veggie at home. They’re easy to grow, don’t take up much space, and taste amazing.
This budget-friendly vegetable takes around 60 to 90 days to grow, depending on which variety you get. However, it will taste amazing roasted, stuffed, in salads, and even for yummy spreads like ajvar.
8. Green beans
I love eating green beans with fish and chicken because they’re easy to cook, full of nutrients, and delicious. Pole beans will take around 55 to 65 days to harvest, while bush beans will take around 50 to 55 days.
Going back to pole beans, they need their vines to grow and will keep producing for a month or two if you keep harvesting. You’ll save a lot of money growing them yourself rather than getting them for the store. If you have too many green beans, you can easily store them in the freezer for months. They will still taste amazing!
9. Turnips
Turnips are another budget-friendly vegetable that you can easily grow in your garden. They will grow quickly, don’t require much effort, can be stored for a long time, and do well in cool climates. I like to use turnips in warm salads, baked trays, and even soups, and my children love eating healthy chips made of roasted beets and turnips.
Turnips take a little less time to harvest compared to other veggies we’ve talked about today, around 40 to 55 days after planting. Keep in mind that once the leaves grow to a height of 4-6 inches, they’re ready to be harvested.
10. Beets
Speaking of beets, they take around 50 to 70 days to harvest. You know they’re ready when their roots are the size of a golf ball. However, harvesting times depend on your preferences but keep in mind that bigger bulbs tend to have a tougher texture. You can clip the tops off the beats and enjoy the greens too, because they’re full of nutrients. The last two of these budget-friendly vegetables pair amazingly together and add a lot of flavor to your meals.
Do you know any other budget-friendly vegetables that are easy to grow? Let us know in the comments below! If you find this article helpful and would like to check out something else from Gardeners and Plants, here’s a good post for you: Poisonous Plants That Pose a Threat to Your Home
