Ideas To Prepare Meals With These Fresh Spring Ingredients
You may have heard the saying to “eat your colors”, but what does this mean? And why is it important?
Eating a variety and array of fresh fruits and vegetables every day is one of the most simple and important ways to prioritize your health. Doing so helps make it more likely that your body will get the vitamins and nutrients it needs.
At WoodWorks Refurbishing, our focus is on the kitchen with services like cabinet refinishing in North Salt Lake. We understand the importance of this space, and love helping our clients make it a place where memories can be made and healthy meals can be enjoyed together.
Benefits And Types Of Fruits And Veggies
Fruits and vegetables come in reds, oranges, yellows, greens, whites, blues, purples, and more. Each can offer unique health benefits, including:
- Decreased inflammation
- Reduced risk of disease like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease
- Strengthened immune system
- Increased brain function
- Improved vision
- Stroke prevention
- Healthy skin
- Reduced cholesterol and blood pressure
- Improved bone strength
Each color on its own is beneficial, but when paired together, the health benefits are even more significant. Here are some examples of healthy fruits and vegetables categorized by color:
Red
- Tomatoes
- Radishes
- Beets
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Red peppers
- Red onions
Orange and yellow
- Carrots
- Apricots
- Squash
- Sweet potatoes
- Yellow peppers
- Pineapple
- Bananas
- Pumpkins
- Mangoes
- Peaches
- Oranges
Green
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Brussels sprouts
- Arugula
- Kiwis
- Avocadoes
- Artichokes
- Kale
- Asparagus
- Bok choy
- Celery
- Green beans
- Peas
White and brown
- Garlic
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Cauliflower
- Leeks
Blue and purple
- Blueberries
- Grapes
- Plums
- Blackberries
- Figs
- Purple cabbage
- Eggplant
Ideas To Implement The Rainbow Into Your Diet
Combinations of fruits and vegetables offer a variety of nutrients for your spring meals, including iron, zinc, folate, magnesium, vitamins A, C, and K, plant protein, and more.
Fresh produce depends on local availability and what’s in season, but there’s always a variety of colors to choose from. Here are some simple ideas to implement them into your everyday dishes:
- Try swapping out produce you get often for a version of it in new colors.
- Add spring herbs to your dishes, like chives, cilantro, dill, mint, lemongrass, oregano, parsley, thyme, and rosemary.
- Switch things up by making the vegetable the main dish with meat/protein on the side.
- Add berries to yogurt or cereals.
- Slice a variety of veggies into pasta, potato, or green salads.
- Make a breakfast quiche loaded with veggies.
- Add hummus to your routine grocery list and eat it using fresh chopped veggies like carrots or celery.
- Opt for sweet potato instead of regular fries.
- Add avocado and fresh herbs to morning toast or bagels.
- Add spinach or artichokes to grilled cheese sandwiches.
- Make fresh salsa featuring your favorite seasonal veggies.
- Keep a few of your favorite dressings on hand and drizzle them over a plate or bowl packed with fresh veggies. Some dressings or vinegars are delicious on fruit, too!
At WoodWorks Refurbishing, our goal is to help you create an inviting, functional kitchen. If you’re in need of an affordable upgrade, we can help with cabinet refinishing in North Salt Lake. Contact our team today to get started on your next project.