Ahh, spring. There’s a stirring in the air and in our souls. There’s a desire for lightness and renewal. Nature is waking up, the trees are budding, the snows are melting, the earth is waking up from the winter slumber.
Spring is the season of lightening up, shedding the accesses of winter, increasing our energy and getting more active. It is time to move away from the hearty and warming foods of winter and transition into lighter fare like raw salads, green smoothies, lightly steamed veggies, less salt and less oil and seasonal produce.
Eating seasonal vegetables and fruit is good for your health. Seasonal foods are loaded with nutrients: vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, that are partially lost when the food is imported, transported and stored.
Seasonal and local foods are also good for you energetically, they provides your body with what you need to function optimally with the weather and environment of the season. The locally grown vegetables and fruits of spring have a cleansing and energizing effect.
Seasonal produce is often less expensive than imported produce. Ka-ching!
You will be supporting local farms and the environment when you shop locally. I love shopping in outdoors farmer’s markets and seeing all the wonderful colorful produce, you can actually smell the freshness! And there are many organic farms on display.
Fresh harvested produce lasts longer, and tastes so much better!!
Here is a list of some spring produce:
Baby greens like arugula, kale and spinach
Sprouts like sunflower, mung beans and broccoli
Spring/green garlic
Fresh herbs like basil, cilantro and parsley
Scallions
Apricots
Pea shoots
Beets
Kohlrabi
Fennel
Dandelion greens
Lettuces
Rhubard
Radishes
Cherries
Nettles
Carrots
Asparagus
Artichokes
Fennel
The best way to transition into spring is by doing the spring cleanse from The Cleanse For All Seasons. It will help you shed the accesses of winter, give you lots of energy, guide with with yummy recipes and food choices and help you shine from the inside out. Join thousands of having fans and get it now.
xo Rachel
I can’t wait for farmers markets to start up again here. I agree that the freshness and nutritional quality is par none. Thank you.
Farmers market are the best.
I was first introduced to this concept of seasonal eating through my parents who adopted a macrobiotic eating lifestyle decades ago. Dad was diagnosed with cancer and they did everything–body, mind, and spirit–to address it. Macs eat what’s local and seasonal.
I am blessed and grateful to enjoy an abundance of fresh vegetables and fruit living in FL. Right now my favorites are tangerines, peaches, and asparagus. Haven’t used fennel or mung beans so these are “new friends” to meet and use in my cooking.
Lore, I am excited for you to try fennel (tastes like licorice) and mung bean sprouts, they are used a lot in Asian and Indian cooking.
Thank you for your informative post Rachel. It’s a great reminder for me to incorporate more spring plant-based foods into my diet. Haven’t been eating as well as I usually do and this will jump start me again for spring! xo
Glad to inspire xx
Your post is refreshing and makes me antsy. I cannot wait for the farmers markets to reopen here in Michigan. I also saw 2 things on your list, kohlrabi (What is that?) and Nettles (I have heard of nettle tea and there are nettles in y natural allergy supplement, but I have never seen them to purchase for cooking!–ooh a challenge.
I love kohlrabi! You can see it here and get a yummy recipe http://healthnutgirl.com/kohlrabi-salad/. Nettles are foraged and can be found in many farmers markets.
I love fresh produce and visiting the local farms to buy food. I am looking forward to it. Thanks for sharing your healthful eating tips with us Rachel!
My pleasure Lisa xx
I am so craving the first of the fresh, organic and local produce to hit the stores and markets around here. At the same time, this never-ending winter is pulling me back to heavier, warmer foods. So I’m trying to ease my way in by introducing a little of the new stuff into each day.
Barb, Spring is a transitional season so go into it gradually, you are doing it just right.
Fresh produce is wonderful! So excited to begin planting seeds! <3
Growing food from seeds is so awesome Krystal.
Definitely in this mode being in the south of France at the moment. Was at the farmer’s market in Antibes this morning, loving the fresh produce!
Since moving to Florida, we benefit from a year-round farmers’ market — just down the street. Right now local strawberries are abundant — and we’ve got another month for fresh oysters. In the yard, the peaches are on the branch and our herb garden is waking up. I need to figure out something to do with yarrow. I’ve got bronze fennel and may plant some green — the monarch butterfly caterpillars get most of this. Spring may be subtle in the South but the energy is lovely.
Love this , amazing we are going into autumn here- fall for you and I am loving the abundance of asparagus we have . Yes we use farmers markets every week xxx
I love the idea of eating seasonal. Fresh is the best. Looking forward to starting my garden again this year.
I love eating with the season. Keeps my body happy! And nothing feels better than the fresh feel at the farmers market 🙂