Wake up your system from its winter slumber with these three spring superfoods!
You don’t have to worry about heating up your meals in the new season, simply go fresh to reap the nutritional benefits of organic foods.
Put The Raw Food Kitchen’s brilliant selection of recipes to use, whipping up a Bali-style Tropical Raw Smoothie or creating a Rocket, Pear, Mint & Walnut Salad with Goat’s Cheese, perfect for your spring alfresco dining.
Boost your healthy eating habits with these three fantastic spring vegetables.
Asparagus
There’s a wealth of nutritional benefits packed into each asparagus spear, so take delight in a food that delivers in both health and taste!
Asparagus is a great source of folate (serving up over 20 per cent of your daily needs) which is a key nutrient for heart health as it helps to keep the heart functioning optimally. Folate has also been linked with reducing depression and protection against cancers such as breast and colon cancer.
This spring green also contains vitamin C, potassium and iron – all nutrients essential to good health.
Cabbage
Cabbage is the perfect spring salad addition, making a great filling for recipes such as apple coleslaw, Asian cabbage salad and even Mock Sushi!
This veggie – available in green, red, savoy and wombok varieties – is rich in vitamin K which is great for bone health. Your body needs this vitamin to use calcium to build bone. The University of Maryland Medical Center adds that there is increasing evidence that vitamin K reduces risk of bone fractures and improves bone health.
Why not try some homemade sauerkraut? Traditional fermented foods increase the vitamin content and beneficial enzymes that help boost your immune system and ease the digestive load on your body.
Plus, they come teeming with good bacteria, great for balancing gut flora and healing upset tummies. Cabbage is a great ingredient to add to your fermented foods.
Beetroot
Take heed of the powerful antioxidant properties of beetroot by including this veggie in your spring detox juices. This veggie is fantastic consumed raw in a juice, as beneficial substances such as betalains are lost when cooked in meals. These betalains have been shown to provide detoxification, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory support.
Beetroot can also help to boost stamina, containing essential nutrients such as magnesium, iron, potassium, vitamin A and folic acid.
If you’re in need of some inspiration for your beet juices, consider combining with cucumber and pineapple, carrots, apples or grapefruit.
