Most chefs agree that spring is the season they most look forward to. Winter embraces root vegetables, hearty stews, and dense plates to warm the body. With warmer weather and the scent of blooming flowers in the air, springtime signals lighter, brighter, and more colorful fruits and vegetables. 

Buying and cooking with seasonal produce ensures that your food offers the most flavor and freshness. If you buy seasonal produce from local grocery stores or farmer’s markets in your area, then you support the community. The great thing about conversing with farmers is that you can ask them about seasonal items you aren’t familiar with. They may give you helpful tips that lead to flavorful creations in your kitchen. 

Eating seasonal fruits and vegetables is a great way to increase your nutritional intake. The transportation time and distance is much less, so the produce items don’t lose as many nutrients. Plucked from the plant and straight to the farmer’s market they go! Additionally, you add more variety to your diet by adjusting your grocery list to the season. You may even save money because you’re eating produce at its peak availability. Let’s explore some of the best fruits and vegetables to eat during spring. 

Leeks

Say hello to the onion’s sweeter, milder cousin: the mighty leek. Leeks are powerful sources of essential nutrients, including vitamins A, C, K, and folate. They exhibit quercetin, an anti-inflammatory compound that promotes a healthy heart. You can braise or sauté leeks or incorporate them into stews, soups, stir-fries, and more. Some people even blend them into salad dressings!

Strawberries

Strawberries exhibit an impressive nutritional profile, boasting lots of folate, manganese, potassium, fiber, and antioxidants. One cup of strawberries provides 149% of your recommended daily intake (RDI) of vitamin C. The anthocyanins give strawberries their beautiful red hue, and these antioxidants help reduce free radical damage. Strawberries may also assist with blood sugar regulation during meals, which researchers attribute to their polyphenols. Eat them fresh, add them to smoothies, or throw them into desserts.

Mustard Greens

Mustard greens are the leaves from the mustard plant, which originated in the Himalayas over 5,000 years ago. They are rich in glucosinolates, compounds that exhibit anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. One cup of cooked mustard greens offers 500% of your RDI of vitamin K, and 175% of your RDI of vitamin A, and 60% of your RDI of vitamin C. They also contain fiber, folate, manganese, calcium, and potassium. Enjoy them in salads, soups, stir-fries, or even smoothies if you love green concoctions. 

Mangos

Many people see mangos year round, so it may not seem like they have a season. During the spring, however, you’ll find the freshest and juiciest varieties. Their season lasts from March through June, and they tend to be popular in sorbets, salsas, smoothies, and fruit salads. Rich in folate, fiber, copper, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6, riboflavin, and more, there’s no reason not to eat mangos during the spring.

Asparagus

These beautiful green spears may make your pee smell, but they are some of the most nutritionally-dense things you can eat. One-half cup of cooked asparagus offers two-thirds of the RDI of vitamin K and one-third of your RDI of folate. Asparagus also offers lots of dietary fiber, B vitamins, vitamins A & C, and it even exhibits anti-cancer properties. You can roast, grill, sauté, steam, and puree asparagus, so that means that there’s no shortage of recipes!

Fava Beans

Fava beans are an ancient pea variety with a distinct nutty flavor and buttery texture. They exhibit an impressive amount of fiber, but they also contain folate, manganese, thiamine, copper, iron, magnesium, and potassium. Fresh fava beans require more preparation, as you have to shuck and peel them. Once you tackle that step, you can cook them and add them to salads, soups, risottos, or blend them into a puree. 

Radishes

These beautiful red golf ball-looking cruciferous veggies have a spicy flavor that some people find off-putting. Others, however, find them incredibly addictive and love to add them to salads,  tacos, and root vegetable purees. One cup of radishes supplies you with one-third of your RDI of vitamin C, but they also offer fiber, folate, potassium, and B vitamins. Radishes contain isothiocyanates, which have been studied for cancer prevention. They also contain an anti-fungal protein called RsAPF2, which may be effective at treating Candida albicans. 

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Okay, folks, picture this: you are sitting in front of a bowl of a tangy and refreshing mango radish salsa. Will it make your taste buds jump for joy? There is only one way to find out how delectable this vibrant concoction of ingredients is, and that is to dig in! This salsa combines the sweet tropical flavor of mangoes with the crisp, pepperiness of the watermelon radish. Add in sweetly tart cherry tomatoes, refreshing cilantro and cucumber, and the zesty lime juice and you’re guaranteed to have a flavor explosion in every bite.

Not only does this salsa exhibit refreshing flavors, but it also brings some impressive health benefits to the table. You’ll notice that this salsa is more like a pico de gallo, but this recipe excludes jalapeño. If you crave that spice, feel free to finely dice a pepper and fold it into the mix!

The Benefits

• Mangos are tropical fruits that contain lots of vitamins C and A, both of which encourage healthy immune function and healthier skin. Plus, mangos offer lots of dietary fiber, aiding digestion and helping you feel fuller for longer.
• Watermelon radishes are mesmerizing to look at. Although these humble root veggies are small, they pack a serious nutritional punch. Radishes are a great source of vitamin C, folate, and potassium, and research shows that their compounds support the liver and regulate blood pressure.
• Cucumbers are refreshing and full of beneficial vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C, & K, potassium, and calcium. Studies suggest that cucumber consumption can help you achieve your daily hydration requirements, given their impressive water content.
• Cilantro can actually help rid the body of heavy metals, including arsenic, cadmium, aluminum, lead, and mercury. Cilantro can bind to these toxic metals, loosen them from tissues, and help eliminate them from the body.
• Cherry tomatoes, like other types of tomatoes, are naturally rich in lycopene, which is an antioxidant compound that may reduce inflammation. Several compounds in cherry tomatoes have also been associated with lower risk of multiple diseases, including some forms of cancer, but more research is necessary.

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Not only are radish greens edible, but they are also rich in powerful flavor and unique nutrients. Many people discard radish greens and miss out on their pepperiness. They are low in calories and offer lots of protein, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, iron, and powerful antioxidant compounds. While eating this radish top pesto isn’t going to cure any disease, it is a way to incorporate these underutilized greens into your diet.

According to some research, some of the active compounds in radish tops exhibit impressive health properties. Antioxidant extracts from radish greens showed potential in test-tube research. In fact, these compounds helped protect lung tissues from oxidative stress as a result of free radical accumulation. The body naturally produces free radicals by way of metabolism, but these free radicals can prove problematic if levels exceed those of antioxidants. Oxidative stress can result and damage tissues, which increases the risk of chronic diseases.

Because this pesto has somewhat of a short lifespan in the fridge, you may want to freeze it in separate containers. You can also place the pesto into silicone molds and freeze it to make pesto cubes. When you want to use them, remove from the freezer a day early and allow them to defrost in the fridge. Plus, this radish top pesto has a very peppery flavor, so you probably won’t want to gorge on this all week. That said…we love it!

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Forget taco Tuesday, because (and let’s be honest) you can enjoy tacos every night of the week. There are so many taco filling options, including cauliflower, potatoes, beans, chickpeas, fish, and more. Tacos come together easily and make for a great family style meal. Although the filling ingredients tend to take center stage, the toppings or condiments are of equal important. You need to have the right salsa, cilantro and onions, and, if you are really a taco connoisseur, pickled radishes or onions.

On their own, radishes exhibit a peppery flavor and crispy crunch. Some people love them and others hate them. If you fall into the hatred column, have you tried pickled radishes? They differ from classic pink pickled turnips that accompany Mediterranean dishes. These pickled radishes offer a sweet, spicy, and briny flavor. Enjoy them straight out of the jar, on tacos, burgers, sandwiches, and more. They have a subtle kick from the jalapeño, and you can always add more if you enjoy more spice in your life. Stuff cilantro into the pickling jar as well and let the pickling commence!

Once all of your ingredients are in the jar, pour in the pickling solution and some pepper flakes and mustard seeds. Allow at least 24 hours for the flavors to do their thing at room temperature. After the first day, you can store the pickled radishes in the fridge. The flavor only gets better as the days go by!

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We hold a special place in our hearts for gazpacho. There’s something about the silky smooth texture and chilled, vibrant flavors that are very addicting. The cold, blended mixture seems to cool down your entire body on a hot summer evening. It fills you up and cools you off at the same time. What kind of sorcery is this? It’s raw vegan eating is what it is!

It may seem out of the ordinary to add cantaloupe to a gazpacho recipe, but cantaloupe pairs beautifully with savory flavors. In Italy, it is very common to wrap cantaloupe pieces in prosciutto. The inherent sweetness of the melon balances the salty nature of the cured ham. Plus, cantaloupe and cucumber, both of which are in this recipe, have high water content. That means that they contribute to your hydration efforts, which is especially important when the weather is hot. You have to replenish the water and electrolytes you lose, and this soup can aid that effort.

When it comes to toppings, there are various ingredients that you can use to enhance the already delicious flavor of the gazpacho. Herbs, lemon or lime zest, thinly sliced radishes, and finely diced chives are all excellent toppings. You can also hit the top of the gazpacho with a dash or two of cayenne pepper if you want to take it to another level. Just don’t go crazy with the spice! It’s summer after all, and we don’t want you sweating more than you already are.

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When it comes to cooking (or not cooking in the case of raw veganism), the best approach is to let the ingredients shine. Simple recipes are often the best, using seasonal ingredients whenever possible. Using seasonal produce is the most flavorful way to cook, but sometimes you have to purchase out of season items. Fortunately for you, both radishes and cucumbers are summer produce items, meaning this salad is brimming with freshness.

We do have to say that the best way to make this salad is to cut both the radishes and the cucumbers with a mandoline. Please use a guard so that you do not slice your fingers. You can use a knife to thinly slice the ingredients, but this will be very labor-intensive. The mandoline slicer speeds things up and makes it so all of the slices are the same. Slicing the ingredients extra thin, especially the radishes, means that you won’t get a super peppery bite by eating a thick radish slice.

Both cucumbers and radishes provide lovely texture and refreshing flavors, but the real star of this recipe is the dill dressing. It has a strong dill flavor because of the fresh dill, and that pairs beautifully with the lemon juice and mustard powder. If the flavor of the dressing is too intense for you, drizzle in some raw agave nectar to bring some sweetness to the party. Taste and then dress your salad!

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Is Little Gem lettuce about to be your new favorite salad green? Foodies consider this sweet, compact leafy green to be a notch above romaine, green leaf, and spring mixed green lettuces. You may have noticed that Little Gem has found its way onto many restaurant menus. It offers a sweet flavor with a lovely, crunchy texture and the little nooks and crannies in these leaves capture the salad dressing. That makes every bite better than the last.

The star of the show is the watermelon radish. This beautiful, vibrantly colored root vegetable is like a magnet for your eyes. You can’t stop admiring their beauty! The watermelon radish offers a crisp texture and clean taste, occasionally offering peppery spice. It comes from the heirloom Chinese Daikon radish and doesn’t taste anything like a watermelon. The name stems from the physical appearance. It is naturally rich in magnesium, manganese, zinc, vitamin B6, phosphorus, niacin, vitamin K, and riboflavin.

Simply put, this salad is basic in that doesn’t consist of many ingredients. The ingredients it does have, however, exhibit powerful flavors that will take your taste buds on a culinary journey. If you feel like adding more pizzazz to your salad, incorporate sliced avocado and cherry tomatoes into the mix. These ingredients are completely optional, but they add additional flavor and nutrients.

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Radishes are not in the “popular” clique when it comes to vegetables. Even though they are some of the healthiest root vegetables around, people are not incredibly fond of them. They have a powerful, peppery flavor that can overwhelm the palate if you aren’t ready for them. That tends to deter people from eating them, but it shouldn’t. It’s very simple to prepare them in numerous appetizing ways. Plus, you look radishing when you eat them. We’re not apologizing for the pun, or any puns that potentially turnip later on. 

What Are Radishes?

These are root vegetables belong to the cruciferous vegetable family. They thrive in moist, fertile soil that receives a lot of natural sunlight. Radishes come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and flavors, but the ones you are most familiar with are small, bulbous, and red. Those are known as cherry belles, which have a red skin and white flesh. The daikon, a long, white carrot-looking radish with greens, is another popular variety.

Radishes Are Nutrient Dense

That signature peppery flavor that radishes possess is due to the fact that they are rich in nutrients. Compared to other, larger vegetables, radishes have an extremely diverse nutritional profile. Some of the prominent nutrients include, vitamin C, folate, vitamin K, zinc, iron, potassium, and magnesium. They also contain anthocyanins, which give radishes their signature red color. They exhibit antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory properties. Keep reading to learn more about the health benefits of radishes.

They Aid In Cancer Prevention

The antioxidant activity helps to reduce free radical damage and oxidative stress in the body. Several reports link oxidative stress to chronic inflammation and the development of cancer cells. Radishes also contain glucosinolates, which work to inhibit cancer cell growth. They also work to induce apoptosis, which causes cancerous cells to die. 

They Improve Skin Health

Most health experts agree that the high water content in radishes help to hydrate the skin. The vitamin C also aids with collagen synthesis, and that works to improve skin elasticity. This contributes to healthier looking skin and stronger bones and ligaments. Additionally, vitamin C helps to enhance UV protection for the skin, while simultaneously reducing free radical damage. The folate in radishes also works to reduce the frequency of breakouts and it helps fight signs of premature aging.

They Support Healthy Digestion

One of the keystones of a healthy digestive system is maintaining a healthy intake of fiber. The more fibrous plant-based foods you consume, the easier it is to naturally move waste through the digestive tract. Eating enough fiber every day helps to ward off constipation, acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, and other digestive disorders. Radishes contain a lot of fiber per serving, which works to reduce digestive stress. Due to the fiber content, they help the body eliminate any stagnant waste that exists in the digestive tract. 

They Support Cardiovascular Health

By this point in the article, you should realize that radishes can do no wrong. Let’s continue to impress you with the fact that they support a healthy cardiovascular system. Because they are naturally rich in potassium, they work to balance fluids in the body by eliminating excess sodium. Potassium also has a positive effect on blood pressure. It works to naturally reduce blood pressure to a healthier level by stimulating normal kidney function. Lastly, the vitamin C aids with collagen synthesis, which helps to strengthen blood vessel walls.

They Boost Immune Function

As we mentioned earlier, radishes contain vitamin C and B-vitamins that help to enhance immune function. These nutrients aid in the production of white blood cells, and the increase white blood cell activity. This is essential to help the body destroy foreign invaders in the body. A 2019 review of studies, B-vitamins work to assist enzymes in producing new organic molecules. These are basic components to all cells in the body, and this increased production works to build new immune cells. 

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Water is necessary to maintain overall health. You cannot have a healthy body if you don’t drink water. While people can enhance hydration levels with various electrolyte-rich beverages, they can also consume water-rich foods to increase their daily water intake.

You’ve undoubtedly heard of the “eight eight-ounce glasses per day” rule to stay hydrated, but this is somewhat outdated. It doesn’t account for body weight, activity level, age, gender, or underlying health conditions. And while water is necessary for life, many people despise it. Sipping H2O all day just isn’t in the cards for people. This is where diet comes into play.

Dietary Hydration

The foods you eat can help you stay hydrated, but you cannot maintain hydration levels from food alone. You still need to drink water and herbal teas. However, about 20% of the body’s hydration comes from diet (specifically fruits and vegetables), so you eat your water along with various nutrients like vitamins and fiber. Start eating your water by chowing down on the following foods.

1. Celery

Water Content: 95.43%

Celery is a crunchy, green, low-calorie vegetable that is packed with a ton of fiber and water. It makes for an excellent snack, especially if you lather a little raw almond butter or hummus on the stalks.

2. Romaine Lettuce

Water Content: 93.47%

Romaine is an excellent lettuce that is quite versatile. It can be the base of a salad, it tastes great grilled, and the leaves make great tortilla alternatives. It is naturally rich in vitamins A, C, and K, in addition to folate and fiber.

3. Cucumber

Water Content: 96.7%

The cucumber is the ultimate, water-rich produce item. In fact, it has the highest water content of any food! It goes great in salads, sliced up with lime juice and chili powder, or cut into strips and served with hummus. Boost your hydration by snacking on cucumber, and then adding cucumber to your water for extra flavor and nutrients.

4. Watermelon

Water Content: 91.45%

With “water” in the name, watermelon is an excellent fruit for hydrating the body. It is predominantly water, but it does contain vitamins A & C, zinc, potassium, copper, and several B vitamins. Don’t forget that watermelon rinds are extremely nutritious. You can learn all about them by clicking here.   

5. Radishes

Water Content: 95.3%

The radish may not be the first vegetable you think of in regards to water-rich foods. In addition to their peppery flavor and vibrant color, radishes have a high water content. Additionally, they are rich in powerful antioxidants, one of them being catechin (found in green tea).

6. Green Bell Peppers

Water Content: 93.9%

Every bell pepper contains water, but green bell peppers are the clear winner. Packed with vitamin C, this nightshade goes great in salads, stir-fries, or cut up in sticks and dipped in hummus. We forgot to mention that they contain lots of antioxidants!

7. Tomatoes

Water Content: 94.52%

The tomato is technically a fruit, but it is often referred to as a vegetable. Tomatoes are rich in fiber, folate, potassium, vitamins C & K, and lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant that inhibits cell damage. Here’s a fun fact: most people in America satisfy their recommended daily intake (RDI) of lycopene by eating tomatoes.

8. Spinach

Water Content: 91.4%

Spinach is chock full of beneficial nutrients, including vitamins A & K, iron, magnesium, potassium, fiber, folate, and calcium. It is an excellent salad base, but it can also be steamed, sautéed, or blended with other ingredients into a smoothie. Looking to reduce your caloric intake? Spinach is the perfect nutrient-dense, low-calorie vegetable for you.

9. Bok Choy

Water Content: 95%

Bok choy is in the same family as broccoli and kale, so you know it’s good for you! The consumption of cruciferous vegetables like bok choy is linked to a reduced risk of certain cancers, including lung, colon, and prostate cancers. Bok choy is also rich in magnesium, iron, vitamins A, C, & K, and calcium.

10. Zucchini

Water Content: 92.73%

The zucchini is similar to the cucumber, in that they are both rich in vitamins C & K, phosphorus, and potassium. They are also rich in fiber, with one medium zucchini satisfying 8% of your RDI. If you are looking to hydrate the body, opt for fresh/raw zucchini because cooking reduces the water content.

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Known as one of the best foods for Hashimoto’s disease, radishes contain a lot of antiviral properties and unique sulfur content. This sulfur works to kill pathogens from the thyroid and throughout the entire body, ultimately preventing atrophy. They do have quite the kick, so be prepared for that in this juice.

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