It’s time to get fresh! After winter, our bodies often crave a boost of essential nutrients. Spring fruits and vegetables help revitalize our systems. In addition, the vibrant tapestry of flavors Spring brings connects us back to our ancestral heritage. It’s the perfect time to reclaim our kitchens, transform them into sanctuaries of wellness and tantalize our palates with the sweetness of the season.
Eating the season’s harvest ensures fresher, often cheaper produce and an opportunity to lessen our carbon footprint and support local grocers and farmers’ markets. Health coach Adesina Dowers reminds us that the options to eat seasonally are endless. According to Dowers, the best way to shop for fresh, local produce is by joining a CSA (community supported agriculture), going to a farmers market, exploring fresh, organic produce in your local grocery store and planting your own garden, whether it’s in the backyard or a planter box on your apartment window.
Here are Dowers’ top fruits and veggies to spice up your diet this spring.
1 Apricots: These sweet gems may be small in size, but they are filled with heart and eye-health-boosting nutrients like Vitamin A, potassium and fiber!
2. Arugula: This peppery-tasting, cancer-fighting vegetable is chock full of chlorophyll, which cleanses the blood and extracts toxins from the liver. It is also high in amino acids, the building blocks of protein.
3. Asparagus: This anti-inflammatory, antioxidant vegetable is also great for digestion. You can stock up on your Vitamin K, Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, and folate here.
4. Cherries: High in digestion-aiding, cholesterol-lowering, blood sugar-controlling fiber. Cherries are also a great source of Vitamin A, calcium, protein, iron, boron and potassium.
5. Kale: This great green has gained popularity in recent years, and for good reason. You can get a hefty dose of daily antioxidants, calcium, iron, fiber and Vitamin K with a full serving. Moms-to-be also love kale because of its high levels of folate.
6. Kiwis: These unexpected antioxidant powerhouses have more Vitamin C per serving than an orange! Even more amazing, studies have shown that eating kiwis as few as 1-2 times a week can help asthmatic children reduce the frequency of their wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath.
7. Parsley: This often overlooked little herb has made its way onto the shortlist because of its amazing health benefits! This immune system-boosting, anti-inflammatory herb is full of Vitamin C, Vitamin B12, Vitamin K and Vitamin A. Adding parsley to your diet can also support optimal kidney function and help control blood pressure.
8. Radishes: This colorful veggie is great for you, inside and out! Not only are they great for your skin and digestion, but they’re also full of antioxidants, electrolytes, minerals, vitamins and dietary fiber.
9. Rhubarb: This brightly colored vegetable is loaded with Vitamin A, which is necessary for optimal eyesight, potassium, dietary fiber and calcium. It is also high in Vitamin K, which has been shown to have a role in treating Alzheimer’s.
10. Watercress: This vegetable packs a big nutritional punch! It is high in fiber, antioxidants, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, beta carotene, folate, potassium, calcium and iron. Watercress has more calcium than milk and more iron than spinach.
