Bollywood celebs pick a healthy hobby: Grow own fruits, veggies amid lockdown

Tomatoes, chikoos, coriander, brinjals and more - celebs are indulging in kitchen gardens and farms during this quarantine time, and soaking in the “simple joys” of life.

Away from the red carpets and glittering galas, as we get a closer peek into the more real world of Bollywood celebrities amid the lockdown, through social media, we’ve got to know that several of them revel in the small, but fruitful joy of growing a bit of their own vegetable and fruit produce at home. And experts are all for kitchen gardens, as apart from healthy eating, they foster stress-free minds.

Actor Juhi Chawla tries her hand at kitchen gardening. (Photo: Instagram/aimjuhichawla)

Shilpa Shetty Kundra was thrilled to see and show off brinjals and chillies ready to be harvested in her home garden, while Pooja Bhatt shared her joy of having homegrown nutritious mulberries. Mouni Roy, who’s in Dubai, was happy picking tomatoes and fresh mint from her sister’s garden, Juhi Chawla has been preparing beds for fenugreek, coriander and tomatoes at home for the first time in her life, and Twinkle Khanna has been growing Ceylon Spinach at her residence.

There’s also Rajeev Khandelwal, who is in Goa, and didn’t mind “trading” a rich harvest of chikoos at his home, “for some smiles in the village”. Jackie Shroff is happy with ”best fresh air, space and all his own organic veggies” at his farmhouse, and Raveena Tandon is rejoicing over her homegrown tomatoes, writing, “We forget , how simple things in life can bring such joy.”

“What you sow, you shall reap” is how most of them described their sentiment for their kitchen gardens.

On getting a “clean and organic produce” which she used to make Baingan ka Bharta, Kundra, a fitness junkie, wrote on Instagram, “One of the greater joys of life is to see your efforts coming to fruition in this circle of life; whether it is about starting a new venture, seeing your child grow up or just the plants you nurture bearing vegetables and fruits for you to enjoy.”

Kitchen gardening has been quite an old concept in India, but Dr Shalini Bliss, Head - Dietitian, Columbia Asia Hospital, Gurugram, points out that since the Covid-19 crisis has once again taken us back to the times when modes of recreation are limited, people, including celebrities have been indulging in activities which give them hope and enjoyment. “Homegrown vegetables are any day a better option than what we get in the market. They are free from chemicals like pesticides and are always healthy to consume,” she adds.

According to nutritionist Kavita Devgan, this is a good time to manage a kitchen garden, as first it’ll take care of boredom and also help you stay happy. It’ll take care of our need for variety in diet, as sourcing is scarce these days. And finally now that we have the time, it can be a part of our habit system.”

Besides, as psychiatrist Samir Parikh puts it, “Spending time productively is a good thing. It gives positivity, builds optimism and has a therapeutic effect during stress.”

Kavita Devgan points out the benefits:

* The fresher the veggies and herbs, the more nutrient dense they are.

* They taste better.

* You can ensure organic, pure and pesticide free produce and give toxic residues a miss as how you grow them is totally in your control.

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