Spring. New life. New beginnings. The time when the weather starts to warm up and the garden starts to grow again.
I actually used to think Spring was just as bad as Winter (because I am NOT a winter person), but now I get so excited about Spring arriving because I know it means I can get my garden started.
One of the things I have become acutely aware of, and therefore very passionate about is how far removed we have become from the natural food production system in less than 100 years. Which, when you think about how short a timeframe that is in relation to how long we have been producing food on the earth, it’s pretty alarming!
And since food is one of the most important things in our life, not being a part of how it is produced doesn’t really make much sense.
So Springtime brings with it relief, anticipation and momentum; a chance to start again and get your food stores stocked up again.
And that’s why I love Spring!
But while Spring is really exciting because we get to start planting food again, what’s really important is what and how we eat from what we grow!
One thing I’ve discovered in growing my own food is that Spring fruit and vegetables actually take the most planning, because there are only a small amount of plants that grow during winter (if any at all depending on your climate), so until your Spring crops grow and are ready to harvest, it’s really still the crops you’ve saved over or grown in Winter you’ll be able to use.
So whether you’re growing this food yourself, or simply buying your food seasonally, here’s a few fresh food items you should be including in your meals in Spring:
Garden peas
Sugar Snap Peas
Snow Peas
Kale
Spinach
Silverbeet
Radish
Carrots
If you have picky eaters like me, you’ll probably find that Spring foods are the hardest to use in meals. There quite a few different vegetables available at this time that require a little bit more emotional energy and headspace to consume. They’re not the usual ‘safe’ foods that kids enjoy easily.
But this is also why it’s really important to eat seasonally – it gives our bodies a chance to experience and benefit from a wide range of foods. Don’t get me wrong, if I could eat Summer salads all year round I would, but that’s just not going to happen.
So instead, I will enjoy the beauty of Spring and feast on the fresh and light, out-of-the-box foods that the season has to offer.
Remember, your area and your microclimate will dictate what you grow and when, so you might find that you are able to get your vegetables ready to harvest earlier in the season than people in cooler climates.
And in contrast, if your Summer months get really hot, Spring might be the best time to grow plants that won’t survive the heat of Summer (coriander), or that you can succession sow (sow more than once), so you get to enjoy them for longer (like peas ad beans).
Remember, eating seasonally takes practise, but it will get easier once you start! If you’re not growing your own foods yet, you can still eat seasonally, just make sure you think about what you are going to buy before going to the supermarket, so you don’t end up defaulting to your favourrites that won’t necessarily be in season at that time.
If you want to know more about seasonal foods, and what is generally available when you can download my FREE seasonal vegetables chart here.