20 Healthiest Vegetables to Grow Quickly

Maybe you don’t notice that those fresh vegetables aren’t that fresh compared to veggies grown by yourself. Take into account the period the vegetables travelling from farms to the supermarket and then being packaged!

Just think about harvesting your own vegetables and taste them immediately. However, the downside is not all of them mature fast.

Thankfully, there are vegetables that not only pack a lot of nutrients but also grow immediately. If you want to grow an edible garden, we can help you by identifying the 20 healthiest vegetables to grow quickly.

20 Healthiest Vegetables to Grow in Your Garden

1. Radishes

Radishes is one of the healthiest vegetables you can grow in your garden. Under the right conditions, radishes can be harvested in as short as three weeks.

Likewise, the radish greens don’t go bad easily. You can store them for three days and they won’t taste bad or lose their nutritional benefits. Just trim the top section and wash them. 

Once the radishes have dried, you can store them in plastic containers in the refrigerator. Eating radishes will provide you with several essential minerals such as potassium, riboflavin, and fiber. 

In particular, fiber will help you digest your food better and ease constipation. Furthermore, these vegetables also contain vitamin B6, calcium, and magnesium but in lesser amounts.

2. Lettuce

There are some varieties of lettuce that can reach maturity in as early as 45 days. However, you can actually harvest the loose leaf leaves and the butterhead leaves whenever you like.

If you are willing to wait some more, you can plant romaine lettuce and harvest it in about 75 days. Similarly, you could wait between 70 to 100 days to harvest the crisphead lettuce.

Lettuce is rich in vitamins and minerals. These include calcium and iron that are good for both your bones and your blood cells. In addition, lettuce has potassium, sodium, magnesium, and zinc.

If those weren’t enough, lettuce also has vitamin K, C, A, and E. This vegetable will provide you with protein, carbohydrates, and dietary fiber in no time.

3. Spinach

This vegetable can be harvested after just a month of planting it. At most, you would have to wait for only six weeks. You can use fertilizer if you think that growth is slow.

Likewise, it helps to irrigate spinach regularly and to maintain the soil moisture through mulching. You don’t have to worry about the cold weather since spinach is known to survive frost.

Spinach is a good option and one of the healthiest vegetables for people on a diet since it is low in both fat and cholesterol. Another upside is that it has significant amounts of zinc and niacin.

Like the other vegetables on this list, spinach gives protein, fiber, calcium, and iron. As for vitamins, you will get vitamin A, B6, C, E, and K.

4. Broad Beans

Just like spinach, broad beans are great vegetables in cool temperatures. Specifically, broad beans still grow well even the temperature reaches 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

After about 80 to 100 days, you can already start harvesting the broad beans. Otherwise known as fava beans, these vegetables are a good source of lean protein.

Thus, you should consume this if you want to stay fit and you are intent on working out. Moreover, broad beans also have fiber, vitamin K, iron, magnesium, and vitamin B6.

5. Snow Peas

These beloved vegetables undergo germination in just 10 days. Likewise, you can harvest snow peas after a mere two months. However, you must ensure that the temperature is at least seven Celsius or 45 degrees Fahrenheit before you plant them.

While snow peas could survive frost, they are much better off without them. If you want to improve your immune system, you’ll be glad to know that snow peas have a high amount of vitamin C.

Every 100 grams of snow peas already has 60 milligrams of vitamin C. Thus, snow peas will help your body in collagen production and in healing your wounds.

6. Kale

Not only is it one of the healthiest vegetables and globally recognized as a "superfood"—i.e. a naturally-occurring food item that is both packed with nutrients and health benefits —it also takes up very little space in order to flourish and grow.

All this makes kale a popular crop all year round for vegetarians and vegetable lovers. If you’re looking for a vegetable crop that is guaranteed to give a high return on investment, kale should definitely be on the top of your list.

While harvesting the bigger kale leaves will take some time, you can harvest the baby kale leaves in as early as 25 days. In addition, you could plant this vegetable from the early stage of the spring season well until early summer.

Even when you plant kale during the late stage of summer, it can still be harvested starting from fall up to winter just before the ground begins to freeze.

As for the health benefits, kale is a low-calorie vegetable that has no fat. A single cup of it will have less than 40 calories while providing five grams of fiber to aid digestion. Likewise, kale has folate and magnesium.

Here is a video about growing kale:

7. Turnips

The edible leaves of turnips can be harvested just 40 days after planting the vegetables. If you want to get the roots, you only have to wait for two months.

While turnips should ideally be grown where they can receive complete sunlight, they will still grow well in partially shaded areas in your garden. If you want a good source of vitamin C, you can eat turnips and get a third of the recommended daily amount. 

Every 100 grams of turnips contains 21 milligrams of vitamin C to boost your immunity. Furthermore, turnips have dietary fiber and only contain 28 calories for every 100 grams.

8. Spring Onions

After just two months, you can already harvest almost all of the spring onions in your garden. Whether you want them in your stir-fried meal or your salad, these vegetables will provide more flavors.

Apart from the good taste, spring onions have vitamin A, C, and K. If you want, you could plant spring onions between late August and October so you can harvest them as spring ends.

However, you must ensure those spring onions are not around any pesky weeds that will steal the nutrients they need. Likewise, the plants must not be overwatered but the soil needs to remain moist.

9. Beetroot

Beetroot can be harvested in about three months after planting them. These plants should ideally be grown in well-drained and fertile soil.

If you think your garden soil isn’t fertile enough, you apply fertilizer and compost into your soil. If your area won’t be having much rainfall, it would be best to water the beetroots every 10 days or every two weeks at most.

These vegetables have iron, folate, magnesium, and nitrates. Moreover, beetroot might help in lowering your blood pressure while also preventing the onset of dementia.

10. Garden Cress

This is unarguably one of the fastest growing vegetables on this list. Once you plant these in early spring, they can be harvested in a mere two weeks.

To help the plants grow fast, they need to be in the loose soil with sufficient sunlight every day. Likewise, the garden cress seeds must be planted at least half an inch deep.

Garden cress is packed with a lot of nutrients including iron, dietary fiber, calcium, and protein. You will also get vitamin A, C, and E. In addition, the seeds contain ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, and folic acid.

11. Mint

You can harvest the mint leaves in as early as four weeks. You just have to ensure that the mint plant will grow with sufficient sunlight to help its roots establish themselves in the soil as quickly as possible.

This vegetable doesn’t require extensive care. Mint plants can be grown indoors or outdoors. You just have to keep the leaves free of dust and debris while regularly watering the plant.

You can use mint not only for treating a sore throat but also to stop indigestion. Also, mint has menthol to give your tea a cooling sensation.

12. Okra

This vegetable can be harvested once they are between two to three inches in length. Usually, this only takes two months after planting the okra.

Remember to remove the weeds surrounding them and provide a layer of mulch. For proper storage, here are 4 ways in storing okra after harvest.

During summer, they should receive at least an inch of water every week. An expandable hose with a low-capacity pump will help you saving time for each summer morning or late evening.

Okra not only has dietary fiber but also vitamin B and C. In addition, this is a low-calorie vegetable with folic acid, calcium, and potassium. 

13. Chinese Cabbage

Otherwise known as napa cabbage, this can be harvest after 70 to 80 days. This is when the cabbage heads reach at least five inches in circumference.

We recommend you to grow them during fall and they should be exposed to at least five hours of sunlight every day. Chinese cabbage is rich in both potassium and antioxidants.

In addition, it is good for lowering blood pressure and improving the immune system. Moreover, it is good for recovering from fatigue and dealing with anemia.

14. Carrots

If you want to harvest mature carrots, you have to wait for 75 days. On the other hand, you can already eat baby carrots in as early as two months after planting them.

When you do plant them, the seeds should be an inch apart from each other. Moreover, they must be an inch deep into the soil and they should be grown in rows that are at least a foot apart.

Refer to our guide on the best carrot fertilizers and learn what nutrients carrots need. As we all know, carrots are rich in vitamin A, which is good for your eyes.

Likewise, these vegetables also have calcium, magnesium, and vitamins C, D, E, and K.

15. Arugula

You should consider growing arugula, which is great for salad. They must be grown in well-drained soil and regular watering. For optimal growth, you should apply compost and ensure that the soil pH is between 6 and 6.5.

After two months, the leaves should be mature enough for harvesting. This vegetable is a good source of beta-carotene, folate, and vitamins A and K.

16. Celery

Celery is one of the more popular vegetable crops to grow. Nearly every nutritionist and healthy diet fad lists celery as a staple to consume, not only because of its many health benefits but also because it has very few calories. This makes it a quintessential weight loss food. 

17. Brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts is a popular vegetarian staple. This is because when combined with a whole grain diet, Brussels sprouts can be a more than adequate replacement for meat when it comes to protein requirements.

It is also low in fat and sodium while providing many vitamins, such as vitamins A, C, K, and B6, as well as iron, selenium, folate, calcium, and potassium.

Check out our comprehensive guide on how to grow brussels sprouts to help you grow your own in the garden or even in pots.  

18. Green Peas

When it comes to nutrition, the green pea is no slouch, coming loaded with vitamins A, B1, B6, K and C. It’s also high in fiber, low in fat, and contain absolutely no cholesterol.

19. Lima Beans

Loaded with many vital nutrients, fiber, heart-healthy fatty acids and proteins while having zero cholesterol. Lima beans is another valuable crop that has good space utilization.

20. Mustard Greens

Loaded with many vital nutrients, fiber, heart-healthy fatty acids and proteins while having zero cholesterol, Lima beans is another valuable crop that has good space utilization.

Wrapping Up Our Guide on the Healthiest Vegetables to Grow in Your Garden

In conclusion, there are many nutritious vegetables that can be harvested within weeks or a couple of months. What matters is that you provide them with enough sunlight, water, and soil quality that they require.

We hope that this guide helped you in choosing which vegetables to grow in your garden. If you have any questions, do give us a comment.