6 Healthy Spring Favorites to Keep Your Weight on Track
Winter is a time for hearty comfort foods and big festive meals. While these delicious treats sure make eating fun, they also add to the waistline. If you’re looking to make some healthy changes to your eating habits to shed that winter weight before bikini season hits, check out these 6 Spring-time favorites.
1. Garden Asparagus: Asparagus grows from February to June, but its peak season is Spring-time, specifically the month of April. Asparagus can be used in so many ways, but one of the most flavorful ways to enjoy it is by laying it out on a cookie sheet, drizzling it with a teaspoon of olive oil, sprinkling it with salt and pepper, and finishing it with a squeeze of lemon. Grill them or bake them in the oven and enjoy.
Asparagus is a super food, loaded with vitamin K, C, B1, B2, B3, B6 and folate. It’s also a good source of copper, phosphorus, zinc, and iron. 1 cup of asparagus provides 2.9g of daily protein and 2.8g of dietary fiber; great for shedding pounds and building muscle.
2. Mushrooms: They’re great on stead, salad, burgers, and more, mushrooms are an excellent source of vitamin B, niacin, and riboflavin. When eaten raw a 100g serving of mushrooms (white) is only 22 calories, while still offering a fulfilling meaty texture. Experimenting with mushrooms is a great way to cut back on meat-based protein and incorporate more veggies into your diet.
Try eating mushrooms as a side, or as the main course, by using a large Portobello instead of a beef patty on your next burger.
3. Strawberries: Peak strawberry season is between April and June, and these sweet red berries are the perfect treat for those with a sweet tooth. Ditch the chocolate and candy and try snacking on fresh fruit instead. Strawberries are loaded with fiber and vitamin C, making them a natural immune booster and regulator for your digestive tract. One cup of strawberries gives you more than the daily requirement for vitamin C, and better yet, gives you 3 whole grams of fiber.
4. Arugula: Great in salads, this peppery leafy green is perfect for the Spring-season. Arugula grows best in cool seasons, such as early Spring or early Fall. It is normally plucked when still young, providing the bitter flavor arugula lovers long for. For every 100g of arugula you eat, your body gets 369mg of potassium, 1.6g of dietary fiber, and 2.6g of protein, with only 25 calories.
Toss some arugula in your morning smoothie, add it to an omelet, or spice up your salad with this savory green.
5. Artichokes: Available from March until May, artichokes are a great spring veg to add to your new healthy meal plan. Artichokes provide plenty of miners and vitamins, such as folic acid and vitamin C. It’s commonly recommended by physicians to pregnant women to naturally boost folate levels and are a great way to snack instead of chips and popcorn.
To enjoy artichokes, boil them for 20-minutes in salted water and then drain. In a frying pan brown fresh garlic in olive oil and drizzle over the artichokes. Now, peel off each portion and scrape the meaty portion from the bottom of each leaf.
6. Radish: Although you can buy radishes from your local grocery store any time of the year, they’re at their peak during the spring. So, if you grow your own radish, this is the time to start picking them. Radish is a spicy root vegetable, which adds color and crispness to salads, but can also be grated into flavored butters and sauces.
1 cup of radish offers only 18 calories, along with 1.9 grams of dietary fiber, 270.3mg of potassium, and 28% of your recommended daily dose of vitamin C. Radish also has vitamin B6, copper, magnesium and calcium, although in lower quantities.
Worried about your eating habits and weight gain? Consult your physician about what the best plan of action is for you based on your BMI and medical history. You shouldn’t make drastic changes to your diet and nutrition without speaking to a professional, especially if you suffer from heart, liver, or kidney issues.
Remember, when in doubt, eating healthy starts with fresh whole foods. As you reduce the number of pre-packaged foods from your diet and replace them with fresh ingredients, you will notice a huge difference to your weight, energy levels, and overall health.
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