Ever noticed how you go from craving warm, comforting food in Winter months to lighter, fresher food in Spring?
If you listen to your body, it has a natural rhythm – just like the seasons. Whereas Winter may bring with it the desire to bunker down, eat more and hibernate, Spring is a time of renewal, the extra sunshine and longer days providing us with new energy to get out and make some changes.
If you’re looking to change up your nutrition after the Winter months, particularly for those of us in lockdown where everything has become a bit repetitive, here are some tips from Alimentary’s Alison Wright to freshen up your diet and make the most of Springtime.
•Eat seasonally: take advantage of fresh Spring fruit and vegetables available at the moment and load up on baby greens, spring onions, snow peas, berries, asparagus, beans and broccoli. Eating food that is in season supports your local growers, as well as ensuring you get the freshest, best tasting food available. Fruit and vegetables start to lose nutrients as soon as they are harvested, so while you may get imported berries all year round, they just won’t taste as good as the seasonal fruit grown locally.
•Spring clean your cupboards: get rid of out-of-date pantry staples and take the opportunity to clean out any processed foods you have lying around. Research shows that we all have a limited amount of willpower, which will wear itself out trying to resist any biscuits and processed snacks we have stashed in our cupboards. Accessibility and availability of junk food are two of the key things that wear down our willpower and sabotage good intentions. Remove these items from the house and your brain can relax.
•Eat the Rainbow: get some colour onto your plate. Fresh fruit and vegetables are packed with powerful nutrients that support our health, so eat up as much as you can and you’ll be feeling better in no time. Keep some snow peas and baby vegetables on hand for a healthy snack to boost your vegetable intake over the course of the day. Your taste buds will enjoy the fresh, vibrant tase and your digestive system will reap the rewards.
•If you’ve cleaned out all your out-of-date herbs and spices, now may be a good time to try your hand at gardening. You could start with a small herb garden and take it from there. There is nothing more satisfying than eating food that contains ingredients, which you have grown from scratch, plus you won't believe how much better they taste.
This week's Mexican breakfast recipe for Huevos Rancheros takes advantage of new season asparagus, cooked simply in the oven with some olive oil, lime and chilli.
Email: enquiries@alimentary.com.au
