A Few Foods You Can (Re)Grow at Home — for Beginners!

Regrowing your own food is much easier than you might think. No garden or advanced gardening skills required: all you need is a simple glass of water, a windowsill, and a bit of curiosity. Best of all, it helps reduce food waste while having fun.

Let’s start with the undisputed champions: green onions. You use the green part for cooking, then keep a few centimeters of the white bulb with the roots and place it in a glass of water… and voilà—they start growing again as if nothing happened. Within just a few days, new shoots appear. It’s probably the most rewarding regrowth for beginners. Leeks work exactly the same way.

The same principle applies to romaine lettuce and celery. Cut the base, keeping a few centimeters intact, and place it in a small amount of water. The rest of the vegetable is used normally in the kitchen. Before long, small fresh leaves reappear in the center—perfect for topping a sandwich or adding some crunch to a salad. The vegetable won’t regrow completely, but it’s a nice little free bonus.

Fresh herbs like mint, basil, cilantro, or parsley are also great candidates. Cut a stem, remove a few leaves from the base, and place it in a glass of water. Roots will naturally form where the leaves were removed. Once the roots are well developed, you can transplant the herbs into soil, just like any other plant, to extend the harvest.

What makes this practice so enjoyable is its playful nature. You observe, experiment, and discover. You find yourself checking every morning to see if a new shoot has emerged. Most importantly, you realize that many foods still have plenty to offer even after being used once in the kitchen. Simply change the water daily to prevent odors and encourage regrowth. And for those who want to go further, all of these foods can eventually be transplanted into soil for even longer enjoyment.

Regrowing food is a small, simple, economical, and ecofriendly habit. It’s a gentle way to reconnect with what we eat, make the most of every piece, and turn a windowsill into a mini plant laboratory. Proof that even without a garden, you can grow a little magic every day.

 

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