Since I became very conscious on my household expense because I badly needed to cut cost to save,  I am always on the lookout of ways to slash budget on our food, since it is one of the biggest expenses that we incur in our household. However, I will never compromise the quality of our food.  After all, health is wealth, so to speak.

A report of Asian Development Bank  in 2009 which surveys expenditures of Filipinos receiving remittances from abroad revealed that a big chunk of the money they receive which is 93%  goes to food and other  household expenses next to education (72%) and medical expenses (63%).

This is sooo true with my household as well.

To remedy this, I figured I can save a little bit if I grow my own food through home gardening.

 

Vegetables and Kitchen Herbs we can grow in our own Home Gardens

Horseradish

Horseradish, aka moringa or commonly known as  malunggay in the Philippines is indispensable in every Filipino kitchen.  You can have it in your fish or chicken tinola (ginger based soup).  Moringga is a rich source of calcium and iron.  The moringa leaves is also purgative and diuretic.

Moringa Leaves or malunggay

source: http://herbalisters.blogspot.com/2012/08/malunggay-moringga-tree-of-life.html

 

Scallions

Locally known as sibuyas dahon, scallions can be easily grown.  You can grow them in hydroponic and just get a small portion of its leaves when you need it.  You can also grow them in pots.  Having your own scallion produce saves you time and money because you have it readily available when you need it.

 

 

scallions-momfinanceblog

source: http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/garden/how-to-grow-scallions

 

Spinach

Alugbati, (aka as basella, malabar spinach) is a versatile plant that you can use in your kitchen.  Spinach salad or soup are just few of the many recipes that you can make out of spinach.

malabar-spinach-momfinanceblog

source: http://rahiseedbank.com/shop/malabar-spinach-puishak-bachhali-bertalha-alugbati-kodip-pasali-10-seeds/

 

Chili, Cayenne, Bell Pepper

  Pepper can be easily grown in your home. You can simply grow the seeds from the bell peppers that you buy in the market and put it in a pot or vacant space  that you have in your backyard.

bell-pepper-momfinanceblog

 

Lemon grass

  It is very aromatic when added to soup recipes  such as sinigang, tinola, etc. It is also used in roasted pig. It is placed it its belly to make it more aromatic and tastier.

lemon-grass-momfinanceblog

source: http://www.organicauthority.com/organic-gardening/re-grow-your-own-food.html

 

Tomatoes

  Indispensable for our salads and ginisa recipes, tomatoes are a very good source of beta-carotene.  You can easily grow them in pots at home and save your money from buying it in the market.

tomatoes-momfinanceblog

source: http://gardenseason.com/top-10-smart-tips-for-growing-tomatoes/

 

Ginger

You can plant a ginger in a pot.  It is a root that you will plant, and before you know it, it will already sprout and bloom.  Eventually, you harvest its roots and use it in your kitchen.

ginger-momfinanceblog

source: http://agronigeria.com.ng/ginger-association-requests-standard-processing-plants/

Aside from those posted above, there are still a number of veggies and herbs that you can grow in your home garden like cucumbers, squash, different herbs like basil, pepermint, etc.  Of course, that depends on your space as well.  Just take good care of your plants and they will take care also of your kitchen needs and you will save in the process.