As the winter season turns into spring, you may start to feel a sense of lightness and increased energy. It’s time to lighten up your wardrobe, get outside, and clean out your space. Along with this, your food often gets a refresher from warm and hearty foods to bright and fresh foods.
The changing season allows you to prepare meals with in-season produce that may not have been readily available in the previous season. Spring offers many nutritious fruits and vegetables, and we’ve highlighted a few of our favorites along with their nutritional benefits.
Fruit
Strawberries
Whether you add them to a salad or eat them on their own, strawberries offer a sweet and juicy punch! They are packed with vitamin C, folate, and antioxidants. Adding strawberries to your diet could help improve heart health, lower blood sugar levels, and support the immune system.1
Avocado
You may not think of avocados as a fruit, but they are! Avocados are a wonderful source of unsaturated fats, potassium, and fiber. Avocados may help increase levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol while also lowering levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.2
Kiwi
For many, the kiwi is often a forgotten fruit. Kiwis are an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber. Because of their high fiber content, Kiwis are great for digestion! Consuming two kiwis a day has been shown to improve bowel movements for people with chronic constipation.3
Vegetables
Artichokes
Artichokes aren’t typically the vegetable people think of when creating their grocery list. Did you know that artichokes are a great source of fiber, folate, vitamin C, vitamin K, and magnesium? Artichokes also contain inulin, which is a type of fiber that acts as a prebiotic and feeds the good bacteria in the gut. If you haven’t already, try out artichokes this spring!
Asparagus
Asparagus is a great source of Vitamin K, vitamin A, and folate. Asparagus has the potential to help with digestion, blood pressure, and managing weight. It makes a wonderful side dish or can brighten up pasta, salads, or a frittata.
Spinach
Spinach is a widely popular leafy green that is repeatedly touted for its health benefits. It is packed with nutrients including fiber, iron, calcium, vitamin C, and vitamin K. Including spinach in your diet could help improve eye health, prevent heart disease, and improve blood pressure.4
Radishes
Radishes provide a peppery crunch! This root vegetable is also a great source of vitamin C, potassium, calcium, iron, and magnesium. If you’re not as familiar with how to use radishes, you can thinly slice them to add to salads, sandwiches, tacos, or east with a vegetable dip.
Final Thoughts
You might be one to enjoy spring food throughout the year, but we can assure you they’re even more delicious when in season! Some of our favorite spring foods are even commonly found on people’s recommended list of genetic superfoods, a.k.a foods that match your DNA-based nutrient requirements. If you want to learn about your body’s unique nutrient needs and recommended foods, take the next step in your personalized nutrition journey.
Learn about our programs to find out which is best for you, your lifestyle, and your health goals.
Resources
- Nile, S. H., & Park, S. W. (2014). Edible berries: bioactive components and their effect on human health. Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.), 30(2), 134–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2013.04.007
- Wang, L., Tao, L., Hao, L., Stanley, T. H., Huang, K. H., Lambert, J. D., & Kris-Etherton, P. M. (2020). A Moderate-Fat Diet with One Avocado per Day Increases Plasma Antioxidants and Decreases the Oxidation of Small, Dense LDL in Adults with Overweight and Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of nutrition, 150(2), 276–284. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxz231
- Chey, Samuel W. MPH1; Chey, William D. MD, FACG1; Jackson, Kenya BS2; Eswaran, Shanti MD3. S0454 Randomized, Comparative Effectiveness Trial of Green Kiwifruit, Psyllium, or Prunes in U.S. Patients with Chronic Constipation. The American Journal of Gastroenterology 115():p S229, October 2020. | DOI: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000000851
- Bondonno, C. P., Yang, X., Croft, K. D., Considine, M. J., Ward, N. C., Rich, L., Puddey, I. B., Swinny, E., Mubarak, A., & Hodgson, J. M. (2012). Flavonoid-rich apples and nitrate-rich spinach augment nitric oxide status and improve endothelial function in healthy men and women: a randomized controlled trial. Free radical biology & medicine, 52(1), 95–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2011.09.028
- “Spring.” SNAP Education Connection, https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/seasonal-produce-guide/spring.
