Spring Clean Your Diet

Originally Published: Jun 12, 2019

By:  Margaret Moses, MBA, RDN, ACE Certified Health Coach

Springtime is winding down, but it’s never too late to spring clean your diet! Here are my tips to get your healthy eating habits in check this season.

Focus on Fresh!

Spring is in the air so it’s time to move on from those comfort winter foods like warm pie and hot dishes! With new fruits and veggies coming into season each month and gardens beginning to bloom, you can rely less on canned and frozen items and more on fresh fruits and veggies. Visit local farmer’s markets in your area to find the freshest and seasonal fruits and veggies. Here are some of my favorites in the West Chester area. 

Clean out the Cupboards!

Purge your kitchen of anything packaged, processed, or with ingredients you can’t pronounce. Most processed foods can contain high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and trans fats.  Replace these with nuts, seeds and fresh foods.

Add Color to your Plate!

One of my favorite sayings is, “Eat a rainbow.” The more colorfully you eat, the more antioxidants you will consume. Antioxidants help rid your body of free radicals, which are substances that can degrade cellular health. Spring is when all of the most beautiful fruits and veggies start to bloom so take advantage of that! Try a new fruit or veggie each week!

Go Green and Garden!

The benefits of growing your own food range from knowing where your food is coming from to unlimited amounts of fresh fruits and veggies right outside your door, all season long. Start growing plants that will give you the biggest benefit for the least amount of work, such as cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, zucchini and peppers and herbs like basil or cilantro. If space is an issue, you can grow a mini garden right in your window!

Salads are in Season!

But don’t forget your protein and fat! Make sure you add protein to your salad so you stay full longer (not just adding chicken to your plate, protein and fat can also be found in nuts). Almonds and walnuts contain generous amounts of omega 3 fatty acids, a substance that can reduce inflammation inside our body. Salads are a great way to easily add vegetables to your diet.

Let the spring cleaning of your eating begin!