Awaken your taste buds with these fresh and wholesome dishes using seasonal produce.
Choosing recipes inspired by the seasons means you get to mix it up and enjoy fresh and creative food throughout the year. You may have enjoyed soups and savory dishes throughout the winter, but as the weather warms, you might start to crave lighter, fresher plates that make you feel invigorated for springtime fun. These delicious and healthy spring recipes each emphasize bright, crisp vegetables that are loaded with flavor and good-for-you benefits:
- Strawberry spinach salad
- Pasta Primavera
- Grilled salmon with Greek salad
- Pineapple and black bean fajitas
- Cauliflower fried rice
- Sweet potato chickpea Buddha bowl
Learn more below about these healthy spring recipes and why they’re beneficial for you.
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Enjoy double antioxidant power with this strawberry spinach salad recipe! Spinach is good for eye health, cancer prevention, and more, while strawberries help your heart and regulate blood sugar. The poppyseed dressing adds another dimension of delicious flavor to the recipe. If you like the mix of fruit and leafy greens in this salad, you can try watermelon-avocado-kale next.
Pasta Primavera
There’s no better pair for spring vegetables than your favorite pasta and a tasty sauce or oil-and-seasoning mix. The beauty of pasta primavera as a healthy spring recipe is in its flexibility. You can use spaghetti, linguine, penne, bowtie—it’s diner’s choice, and the same goes for the vegetables and toppings you include. This recipe features leeks, asparagus, peas, and broad beans, which are rich in protein and fiber and beneficial for the brain, bones, and immune system.
Grilled Salmon with Greek Salad
Grilling is a nutritious way to prepare salmon, which is already one of the healthiest fishes. It’s a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids and is well-known for its benefits for the heart, as well as showing promise for reducing inflammation in the body. A lightly dressed Greek salad with romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and onion makes a tantalizing side dish for grilled salmon. Serve both with a lemon wedge on the side for a healthy spring recipe that looks as good as it tastes!
Pineapple and Black Bean Fajitas
Sweet meets savory in this healthy seasonal dinner that’s perfect for eating on the patio on a beautiful spring evening. Pineapple offers a lot more than a mouthwatering burst of citrus: it’s also disease-fighting and anti-inflammatory. Black beans add healthy fiber while helping to lower your cholesterol. Feel free to add chicken or other lean meat for an added boost of protein. Using a whole-wheat or spinach tortilla can deliver additional wholesome whole grains to your diet.
Cauliflower Fried Rice
Fried rice from your favorite Chinese restaurant might not make it on a list of healthy spring recipes, but you can DIY your own low-cal, high-fiber version with just a few easy tweaks! This seasonal dish calls for riced cauliflower, a technique as simple as pulsing it in a food processor. To add more spring produce, you can load it up with other veggies and top it with edamame for protein. Cauliflower is one of the best sources of choline, which is essential for a healthy brain, liver, and nervous system.
Sweet Potato Chickpea Buddha Bowl
Sweet potatoes aren’t just for Thanksgiving—they’re also a great spring vegetable in a recipe like this fresh, light “Buddha bowl.” If you’ve never had a Buddha Bowl, it’s essentially an ultra-hearty salad that emphasizes toppings more than greens. Sweet potatoes help keep your blood sugar and pressure stable while satisfying many of your nutrient needs. Adding chickpeas to the mix is an even better accompaniment, thanks to all their protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
These healthy spring recipes are a wholesome and delicious way to celebrate a new season. Head to our blog for even more articles about healthy living!
