Best spring foods in season to include in your diet
Spring is here and it’s finally the time of the year to take long walks and let our skin synthesize vitamin D! After a long and rough winter, covid cases are finally reduced in the UK and if you feel like walking for hours, exploring local food markets it’s a great reason to go outside.
Since many of you found my article on UK autumn foods very useful, I hope you will enjoy this post about seasonal April and May foods as well! Spring is a season where motivation for healthy eating often blooms just like the cherry blossoms, so April is a great month to explore more foods and recipes!
Seafood
Pollock
Pollock is a high protein and low fat option. If you love fish and you are looking for low energy foods, this is for you! It is absolutely delicious with homemade yogurt, garlic and cucumber sauce (Greek tzatziki)!
1 serving of pollock (150g raw) contains:
| Energy | 108 kcal |
| Protein | 25g |
| Total Fats | 1.1g |
| Saturated fats | 0 |
| (Net) carbohydrates | 0 |
| Sugars | 0 |
| Fibre | 0 |
| Vitamin B12 | 3.5 ug 156% RI |
| Vitamin B3 | 7.8 mg (49% RI) |
| Selenium | 41 ug (74% RI) |
| Iodine | 84 ug (56% RI) |
| Phosphorus | 180 mg (26% RI) |
Crab
Crab is a more pricey option, but as you can see it is high in so many valuable vitamins and minerals! A vitamin B bomb, super high in selenium, copper, zinc and iodine. A delicious igredient for pasta and legume salads!
100g of cooked white crab meat contain:
| Energy | 85 kcal |
| Protein | 21g |
| Total Fats | 0.5g |
| Saturated fats | 0 |
| Vitamin B12 | 3.4 ug (136%) |
| Vitamin B7 (Biotin) | 11.4 ug (23% RI) |
| Vitamin B5(Pantothenic Acid) | 2 mg (33%RI) |
| Vitamin B3 | 5 mg (31% RI) |
| Vitamin E | 2.1 mg (18% RI) |
| Selenium | 87 ug (158% RI) |
| Copper | 0.95 mg (95% RI) |
| Zinc | 7.2 mg (72% RI) |
| Iodine | 103 ug (69% RI) |
For further information in sustainable seafood and recipes I recommend checking the marine conservation society website! It’s full of great resources and documents.
Fruit & veggies
Asparagus
A delicious folate bomb, filling and ideal if you follow a low carb diet!
1 serving of asparagus (84g raw) contains:
| Energy | 24 kcal |
| Protein | 2.5g |
| Total Fats | 0.5g |
| Saturated fats | 0g |
| (Net) carbohydrates | 1.8g |
| Sugars | 1.6g (6% RI) |
| Fibre | 1.4g |
| Folate (Vitamin B9) | 147 ug (74% RI) |
| Vitamin C | 10.1 mg (13%RI) |
Strawberries
Where do I even start about strawberries? Best snack and ingredient for so many healthy desserts. Super high in vitamin C and folate and taste so good many of us can easily eat more than a cup! Check my healthy dessert section for dessert with fresh strawberries.
1 serving (160g/1 cup) of strawberries contains:
| Energy | 68 kcal |
| Protein | 0.9g |
| Total Fats | 0.8 |
| Saturated fats | 0 |
| (Net) carbohydrates | 9.8g |
| Sugars | 9.8g |
| Fibre | 6.1g (24% RI) |
| Vitamin C | 91 mg (114% RI) |
| Folate | 98 ug (49% RI) |
| Manganese | 0.5 mg (25%RI) |
| Glycaemic Index | 40 (low) |
Aubergines
Have you ever tried oven-cooked aubergines with low fat bolognese sauce on top? If not, then trying this meal is a good reason to add aubergines to your next grocery list! If your gut is sensitive to aubergines, try removing the flesh before cooking.
You can also enjoy aubergines:
- oven cooked with tomato and basil sauce
- oven cooked with tomato sauce and feta cheese on top
- As an igredient for your stew
1 raw aubergine (250g) contains:
| Energy | 50 kcal |
| Protein | 2.2g |
| Total Fats | 1g |
| Saturated fats | 0 |
| (Net) carbohydrates | 5.5g |
| Sugars | 5g |
| Fibre | 5g (20%RI) |
| Folate | 28.8 ug (14%RI) |
| Vitamin C | 6.4 mg (8%RI) |
| Potassium | 336mg 17%RI |
New potatoes
2 average new potatoes (84g raw) contain:
| Energy | 59 kcal |
| Protein | 1.5g |
| Total Fats | 0 |
| Saturated fats | 0 |
| (Net) carbohydrates | 12g |
| Sugars | 1.1g |
| Fibre | 1.5g (6%RI) |
| Folate | 21 ug (11%) |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.13 mg (10%RI) |
| Vitamin B1 | 0.13 mg (11% RI) |
| Vitamin C | 5.9 mg (7% RI) |
| Potassium | 269 mg (13% RI) |
| Glycaemic Index | 74 |
Radish
Radish is a very low energy vitamin C source, ideal for increasing your meal volume without increasing your energy intake at the same time! If you do not like raw radishes, you can try steaming or cooking them in the oven!
Oven-cooked radishes with scallops! Click on the image for the recipe.
100 g raw radishes (5 radishes) contain:
| Energy | 14 kcal |
| Protein | 0.7g |
| Total Fats | 0 |
| Saturated fats | 0 |
| (Net) carbohydrates | 2g |
| Sugars | 1.9g |
| Fibre | 0.9g (4% RI) |
| Vitamin C | 17 mg (21% RI) |
| Folate | 38 ug (19% RI) |
Spring onions
Spring onions are an excellent low carbohydrate alternative to regular onions! Onions contain 8g net carbohydrates per 100g, while spring onions contain only 3g net carbohydrates/100 g. You can chop and cook the stems and bulbs just like regular onions.
100 g raw spring onions (5 onions, stem & bulb) contain:
| Energy | 30 kcal |
| Protein | 2g |
| Total Fats | 0.5 g |
| Saturated fats | 0 |
| (Net) carbohydrates | 3 g |
| Sugars | 2.8 g |
| Fibre | 2.5g (10% RI) |
| Vitamin K1 | 207 ug (276% RI) |
| Vitamin C | 26 mg (33% RI) |
| Folate | 54 ug (27% RI) |
| Vitamin A | 105 ug (13% RI) |
| Glycaemic Index | 45 (low) |
Rhubarb
Rhubarb is actually a vegetable, even though we often see it as a dessert igredient! You can bake it, steam it and add it in salads. If you are looking for recipes and ways to cook rhubarb click here!
122 g raw diced rhubarb (1 cup) contain:
| Energy | 191 kcal |
| Protein | 1.1g |
| Total Fats | 0 |
| Saturated fats | 0 |
| (Net) carbohydrates | 14g |
| Sugars | 14g |
| Fibre | 2.4 g (10% RI) |
| Vitamin C | 6.1 mg (8% RI) |
| Manganese | 0.37 mg (18% RI) |
| Glycaemic Index | 63 |
Nutrient information is provided by Nutritics software!
References
