Something we hear many people talk about is changing up dietary patterns and go-to meals with the seasons. For example, in the winter many people like to fill up on hearty comfort foods to cope with the cold weather, but when spring rolls around, they tend to enjoy lighter meals with fresh fruits and veggies. One of the best staples during the springtime is light and tasteful salads. There are a lot of different produce that are now in season that are easy to incorporate, and they taste even better if you mix some of your favorites together.
Feta is such a staple cheese, and what tastes better than watermelon on a hot day!? The main components of this dish are spinach, watermelon, feta, and balsamic dressing. You can incorporate any berries you want into this salad, and you can also put some mint on top which tastes really refreshing with the watermelon. Add some grilled chicken on top for extra protein.
In this next salad, the word “berry” is totally up to your own interpretation! You can stick just to blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, or have all three! The smooth taste of the avocado is a great contrast to the tartness of the berries. It’s also balanced out with poppy seed dressing which you can put a healthier twist on by making it with Greek yogurt. Combine ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of honey, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, ¼ cup of plain Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and one teaspoon of poppy seeds in a jar and shake!
This salad is a must because who doesn’t love eating the rainbow? A bonus benefit about this salad is that if your meal prep involves quinoa and you have any leftovers, just use it for this salad! Use arugula for the base, and top with quinoa, and any of your favorite veggies from each color of the rainbow! Some go-to combo is radishes for red, carrots for orange, yellow bell pepper for yellow, and cucumbers for green! Top with a light honey citrus vinaigrette. Add 1/3 cup oil olive, 1 tablespoon of honey, ½ lemon zested and juiced, and ½ orange zested and juiced, and a little bit of salt and pepper, and combine in a mason jar.