In a society that always stresses an environmentally conscious effort, testing one’s green thumb with backyard veggies promotes a renewable source of nutritious options, while keeping the green in your wallet.

Naturally low in calories, high in fiber, rich with nutrients and loaded with antioxidants, vegetables make the shortlist in every nutritionists’ playbook of a daily, balanced diet. And as spring weather settles in, getting started on a small plot of common, easy vegetables could provide a backyard produce aisle, chock-full of flavors.

When compared with the fresh snap of a homegrown carrot or the ripe, juiciness of a cherry tomato right off the vine, produce delivered to local supermarkets and stored on the shelf is hard pressed to compete, said Dr. Pat Williams, professor of horticulture at Murray State University.

“A lot of times produce is grown and shipped from a distance, so you can’t get the peak flavors because the sugars aren’t right but only at a certain time,” he said. “With growing it yourself, you can pick the produce at peak and enjoy it that way.”

As the produce sits on the market shelf, the nutrient content of those vegetables can decline, said Sherry Golightly, a registered dietitian at Western Baptist Hospital. But growing even a small variety of vegetables in your garden, with monitoring, can ensure the picked produce is nutrient-laden.

For those who might not be as sure of their green thumbs, Williams recommended starting off small so as to ensure the gardener isn’t overwhelmed with maintenance like watering and weeding.

Involving children in gardening also can be a way to increase vegetables in their daily meals, Williams said, recommending parents grow radishes with their children, as they are ready to harvest in about 20 days.

“For kids to see the radish grow right before their eyes, they have the sense that they succeeded,” he said.

“As a parent, you can’t get a kid to eat lima beans on their plate, but if they grew it in their garden, you can. Those benefits will last them a lifetime.”

Renee Waggoner, a registered dietitian at Lourdes hospital, grows a small, 3-foot-by-3-foot garden with several tomato plants, green peppers, cauliflower and broccoli, all of which have specific dietary benefits.

The lycopene in tomatoes helps eyes, and the antioxidant properties of cruciferous plants help prevent heart disease and cancer.

“Anytime you eat anything with color, there are different minerals and vitamins in each, so if you mix it all up, you hit all of your bases,” Waggoner said.

While work is involved in growing any produce, Williams said the physical exercise and nutritious benefits pay off come harvest.

“Growing anything, as long as you eat it and don’t throw it away, is vastly more nutritious for you than choosing not to.”

Call Will Pinkston, a Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8676.