Fresh Picks: Eating Spring’s Seasonal Fruit and Veggies
Written by Lori Bumbaco, MS, RDN, CSO, LDN, Oncology Dietitian
Spring brings the promise of seasonal nutrition with the welcome of fresh fruit and vegetables. There are a handful of delicious fruits and vegetables packed with vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants! When we eat seasonally, we’re more likely to get fresh, nutrient-dense foods that are coming from local farms, so travel times are much shorter. Not only do they taste fresher, but certain nutrients like Vitamin C, folate, and carotenes can decrease with travel times and long stretches in storage. We get a boost of nutrition to our diet when including seasonal produce regularly!
Asparagus
Roasted, steamed, sautéed, or grilled, asparagus makes the perfect side to any main dish. Famous for its long, pointy spears, it’s a favorite spring vegetable that shows up around mid-March to early April. Asparagus is loaded with antioxidants like vitamins C and E that help protect cells from age-related damage from free radicals. And it’s an excellent source of fiber to promote regularity, lower cholesterol and promote the growth of the good gut bacteria in our digestive system
How to eat it: Cut the spears into thirds and sauté them with garlic and olive oil—or keep them whole and roast them in the oven with garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. You can also try to slice them thinly or use a vegetable peeler to make a raw asparagus ribbon salad.
Arugula
While spinach and kale might be hailed as the leafy greens of winter, spring is all about arugula. Its slightly spicy and peppery flavor is perfect for any spring dish. But it’s not just its unique flavor that makes it so popular at this time of year, it’s also rich in nutrients like calcium and vitamin K to promote bone health. It is also a great source of vitamins A, C, folate and magnesium to help with metabolism, eye health, immunity and nerve function.
How to eat it: Toss it in a salad, add it to a sandwich, pasta, pizza or make arugula pesto!
Sugar Snap Peas
Sugar snap peas are like a mix between your classic green pea and the snow peas you find in stir-fry. These small but mighty veggies are full of vitamin C, which helps prevent cell damage caused by toxins in the environment. It also plays an important role in collagen production, helping our skin, bones, joints and hair health. Sugar snap peas also contain plenty of fiber to promote digestive health and keep us feeling full longer.
How to eat it: Eat sugar snap peas fresh with hummus or sauté them with salt and pepper.
Radishes
Radishes are a root vegetable commonly used in salads—but they’re also delicious in stir-fry, soups and even pickled. They’re great for adding a pop of color and a crunchy texture to a dish, but they’re also full of important nutrients. Radishes contain a sulfur-rich phytochemical called sulforaphane, which plays an important role in our body to help promote healthy blood sugar levels. And they’re a good source of natural nitrates that improve blood flow and promote heart health.
How to eat it: They are delicious raw in a crudité, or roast radishes in the oven with salt, garlic, pepper and olive oil.
Strawberries
These bright red berries are the perfect snack when we’re craving something sweet; they’re easy to eat, delicious and full of cancer fighters. Strawberries are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants like anthocyanins, that’s been linked to improving heart health in some studies. Other key nutrients are vitamin C, fiber and folate—which plays a role in tissue growth, repair and cell function.
How to eat it: Eat strawberries fresh by themselves, add them to yogurt or toss them in a spring salad with arugula!
Carrots
Does anyone else think about carrot cake when spring rolls around? The bright, orange root vegetable complements any recipe (even dessert!). Carrots are rich in potassium, which plays a key role in regulating blood pressure and heart health by helping to remove excess sodium and fluid from your body.
And we can’t forget what they’re best known for: vitamin A! Carrots contain beta carotene, an antioxidant that your body converts into vitamin A to help with eye health and immune function
How to eat it: Toss carrots in a salad, eat them fresh with hummus or make a carrot cake! After all, we know that nutrition is a matter of balance for pleasure and nutrition.
Spring is a great time to hit the reset button and reintroduce some fresh produce into your day after a long winter. Get into the swing of spring produce with your own seasonal favorites and invite the exciting flavors of cancer-fighting foods to your diet!
