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 whanau 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.