What to Eat Now: Spring’s Early Bloomers

Heavy, starchy foods keep you warm–and stuffed–through Winter. but now spring is arriving, and with it a wave of light and healthy produce hitting grocery stores and farmers’ markets in prime season. We asked Deborah Madison, author of Vegetable Literacy, for a selection of nutritious foods that will be at their peak flavor in the coming weeks. And if you don’t like to eat your greens, she has a tip: “A salad that looks like spring can make you so happy,” she says. “That’s half the battle.”

ARUGULA

This peppery green is sweetest after a frost; a cup has 27% of the recommended daily vitamin K.

EAT IT: “Golden beets with avocado and arugula make a pretty salad,” says Madison. “I think I’ll make that tonight, actually.”

MEYER LEMONS

A full 31% of daily vitamin C is in the juice of one lemon. Meyers are less acidic than other varieties.

EAT IT: “Use the zest and the juice to make a lemon, shallot and olive oil vinaigrette.”

AVOCADO

One avocado has more potassium than a banana, as well as 37% of daily fiber.

EAT IT: “I like it sliced and spread on toast with a squeeze of lemon and some sea salt,” Madison says. Extra credit if you use truffle salt.

SORREL

Meet the herb that packs 106% of daily vitamin C in every cup. The first leaves sprout in March.

EAT IT: Simply. “Finely shredded sorrel mixed with yogurt is delicious,” Madison says.

CHIVES

Chives are among the first plants to pop up postwinter, and just two tablespoons of them have 16% of daily vitamin K.

EAT IT: Madison suggests making a spread of chives with butter, lemon zest, sea salt, pepper and fresh chervil–another early-year herb that tastes just a little bit like licorice.

RADISHES

When you start to see radishes at the farmers’ market, “to me that’s a sure sign of spring,” Madison says. A single radish can have 124% of the recommended daily vitamin C–even more if you eat the raw tops too.

EAT IT: Go raw, says Madison. Just slice the radish, chop the tops and toss with good olive oil and lemon juice.

LOVAGE

It’s one of the best sources of an anti-inflammatory compound called quercetin.

EAT IT: Tear into a salad or sip a Bloody Mary through its hollow stem. “It tastes like a cross between parsley and celery leaves,” she says.

SWISS CHARD

A cup of boiled chard has 22% of daily iron, plus 716% of daily vitamin K.

EAT IT: “I love it wilted until it’s tender and tossed with good butter and a little bit of vinegar,” Madison says.

Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference