Making a vegetable grocery list for you and your dog

Strategizing the best use of outer aisle shopping in grocery stores and gardens

I am ecstatic to see how well my plants are doing. The flowers were a giveaway I scooped up during a Wag! walk. The couch has that dent in it because Junee likes to sit on top of the couch frame. (Photo credit: Shamontiel L. Vaughn)

For 40 of 41 years, I had a black thumb. I honestly didn’t care. Although my grandfather had a vegetable and fruit garden in his backyard and my mother had plants tall enough to call trees, that just wasn’t my world. It took an overly talkative chaplain and a two-year stint on a condo board to make me even humor the idea of watering a plant, never mind actually planting a flower.

Recommended Read: “10 irrational gardening thoughts ~ Unsolicited facts from my social isolation gardening days”

And the more you pay attention to plants for aesthetics (and cleaner air), the more you start paying attention to food in general. As an 18-year vegetarian, I’m conscious of shopping on the outer aisles of grocery stores anyway. It keeps me away from junk food and products I very rarely need (minus toiletries). That’s where the (almond and soy) milk, the egg (substitutes), the fruits and vegetables, and the (vegan) cheese are anyway. While I don’t have the personal garden to plant what I usually buy, the least I could do is put my dollars where my (aspiring) diet is.

Centene Corporation chart (via Ambetter of Illinois): “Power Up Your Grocery Shopping!”

For those who have the land (or window sill to do so), planting a garden leads to healthier living but is a tough decision for pet owners. Dogs like to dig up dirt. They also will eat your edible garden if you don’t keep an eye on them, so a gate or greenhouse is necessary. (For counter hoppers, make sure your dog can’t get too close to low windows.) Then there’s the matter of plants that are poisonous to dogs, along with fruits and vegetables that aren’t pet-friendly. Everything you may want to eat or buy from those outer aisles in the production section must be evaluated.

Recommended Read: “Just because your dog can eat fruits doesn't mean she should ~ Wait at least 48 hours for the dog fruit test results”

Fruits featured (via Pixabay): Avocados (Shutterbug75), Cherries (Jill Wellington), Grapes (NickyPe), Tomatos (kie-ker)

While some fruits are safe for dogs, others aren’t. The same rules apply for certain vegetables, too, regardless of how scrumptious they may be in your next human meal.

Fruits featured (via Pixabay): Asparagus (Yvonne Huijbens), Mushrooms (congerdesign), Onions (Shutterbug75),

The good news is there are some pet-friendly vegetables that you can buy or grow. Check these out.