Diet During Spring Season

Submitted by Elizabeth on July 20, 2010

The spring season brings with it the freshest produce and although the variety may not be as much as it is in the fall or summer, there are still several choices available to you. For those who enjoy eating foods that are in season, here are tips for you.

Food is always fresher and tastes better when it is in season. The nutritional value of foods is also highest during the season which it is best suited for. Buying foods according to the seasons, not only satiates your taste buds, but also ensures that your body gets the most nutrition out of those foods. The best place to purchase seasonal foods is a farmers market or a self pick farm.

Here the choicest selection of foods are available to you and in most cases, you can even taste a sample before you buy. The reason why stores are not the best place to buy fresh seasonal produce is that they have to wait for shipments to arrive and they also do not have the option of hand-picking what they want. To know if the produce is ripe, observe its color.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are bright and vibrant. A sure sign of unripe or old produce is a dull appearance. The food should also be moderately firm, as extra firmness indicates that it is unripe, while excessive softness indicates that it is too ripe and bruised.

For food to taste good and be of optimum nutritional value, it must have the right amount of ripeness. Even the foods that are in season may turn out to be bad; hence it is important to be careful while choosing them. An effective way to determine the quality of fruits is to squeeze them gently.

The skin should be flexible and not soft and mushy. Fruits and vegetables with brown spots or patches mean that they have been bruised and hence they should be avoided.

Leafy green vegetables are a great addition to a daily diet plan as they are loaded with nutrients which help to boost immunity and promote good health of the body. There are many leafy greens that are available in the spring season. Select those that are crunchy and firm. Leafy greens that are wilted are not fresh and hence are of lower nutritional quality. Other foods that should be included in your diet during the spring season are strawberries, asparagus, carrots, sugar snap peas, onions, cherries, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and blueberries.