Start Your Spring Journey To Health With Seasonal Fruit And Vegetables

It’s time to kick off those winter blues and start
dreaming of the warm weather to come, so why not reset the
health and wellbeing of your whānau this September with
some new healthy habits.

Spring fruit and vegetables
are currently being harvested around Aotearoa and this range
of fresh flavours will be in stores soon.

5+ A Day
Charitable Trust Project Manager, Carmel Ireland says Spring
is the best time of year to make lasting health
changes.

“Spring is traditionally a time of new
beginnings. We’re so lucky in Aotearoa to grow such a wide
range of high quality, seasonal produce – so why not begin
a healthy habit by adding a serving of fruit and vegetables
to every meal this month?”

Ireland suggests starting
the day with slices of avocado on grain
toast.

“Avocados are a great source of healthy fats,
eating a serving at breakfast time will help your metabolism
throughout the day. Grab a tangelo for a morning snack and
you’re off to a healthy start,” says
Ireland.

“We often forget to add vegetables at
lunchtime. In the middle of a busy day, I love to use
mushrooms which contain a good source of B vitamins to help
convert food into the energy needed to get through the
afternoon. Mushroom egg muffins are easy to cook ahead of
time and pop into a lunchbox or create a poke rice bowl with
a mix of varieties such as oysters, shiitake and portobello
mushrooms,” she says.

The strawberry season also
begins in Spring, expect to see good volumes of these Kiwi
favourites in stores from October

“Try slicing
strawberries into a salad to add extra fibre and vitamin C.
Spring is the perfect time to utilise fresh herbs in place
of seasoning such as salt, it’s a simple, healthy habit to
improve the nutritional benefits of each dish,” says
Ireland.

“Finish off your day with a healthy dinner
too. Asparagus are at their best at this time of year, try a
warm roast potato salad with lightly steamed asparagus and a
citrus vinaigrette for a quick weeknight
meal.

“Asparagus are a good source of folate which
is essential to the development of red blood cells while the
potatoes are a good source of vitamin C to help support
immunity,” says Ireland.

Fruit and vegetables
contain the highest quantity of nutritional benefits when
they are in season.

“Eating in season is the best
way to access the benefits of a diet packed with fruit and
vegetables,” says Ireland.

Find more ideas, tips and
recipes on the 5+ A Day website, www.5aday.co.nz, or
follow @5adaynz on social
media.

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