Seasonal Recipes for Spring

May 3, 2022

What Foods Are Best in Spring?

If you’ve been following along and reading my blogs or following me on social media, you know I am both passionate about recipes for a healthy gut and eating seasonally. So in this blog, I am going to discuss what foods are best in spring that will be both seasonal and healthy for your gut and provide some recipes for a healthy gut that are simple and easy to make. 

To start, here is a simple list of foods that are healthy in the spring. According to the USDA these are the foods most seasonable in spring:

  • Apples
  • Apricots
  • Asparagus
  • Avocados
  • Bananas
  • Broccoli
  • Cabbage
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Collard Greens
  • Garlic
  • Herbs
  • Kale
  • Kiwifruit
  • Lemons
  • Lettuce
  • Limes
  • Mushrooms
  • Onions
  • Peas
  • Pineapples
  • Radishes
  • Rhubarb
  • Spinach
  • Strawberries
  • Swiss Chard
  • Turnips

The good news is, that all of the foods on this list are sensible for a gut-healthy diet. Now you may be wondering, “Do spring greens cause gas”? You may be wondering if other foods on this list do as well. Oftentimes cruciferous vegetables can cause gas if they are not something the body is used to. 

Something I was able to teach my clients in the 4 Week Gut Protocol was that steaming or cooking cruciferous vegetables versus eating them raw could greatly decrease their ability to cause gas, if at all. The Gut Protocol also has most people eating 6-8 servings of vegetables and 2-4 servings of fruit a day. This seasonal list would be very easy to plug and play into the program.

Recipes for a Healthy Gut in Spring

Every week in my virtual wellness studio my clients are given a weekly meal plan with new recipes that are often seasonally based. These recipes come from myself, my teammates, and www.teambeachbody.com/blog. Here is a taste (no pun intended) of what it is like to be my client and the kinds of recipes you have access to on a weekly basis. 

Egg White Omelette with Greens

Ingredients: egg white omelet with greens

  • 1 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 cup raw spinach
  • 8 large egg whites (1 cup)
  • 1 cup steamed broccoli florets

Directions: 

  1. Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add spinach; cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until wilted.
  2. Add egg whites. Do not stir. As eggs set, lift edges, letting uncooked portions flow underneath.
  3. When eggs are almost set add broccoli; cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until heated through. Gently fold in half.

Crunchy Veggie Wraps

Time: 45 minutes vegetables

Ingredients: 

  • 4 medium collard green leaves, washed, patted dry, bottom stem removed
  • ½ cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
  • ½ cup prepared hummus
  • 1 medium carrot, julienned
  • 1 medium cucumber, julienned
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, julienned
  • ½ cup fresh microgreens (or sprouts)
  • ½ medium avocado, thinly sliced
  • 1 Tbsp. hemp seeds

Directions:

  1. Use a vegetable peeler to make the collard green stems thinner. Start at the bottom of the leaf and peel up. Make sure you do not cut through the leaf. Set aside.
  2. Combine quinoa, parsley, lemon juice, and pepper in a small bowl; mix well. Set aside.
  3. Place leaves green side down on a cutting board or work surface. Evenly spread hummus in the center of each leaf. 
  4. Top evenly with quinoa mixture, carrot, cucumber, bell pepper, microgreens, avocado, and hemp seeds.
  5. Fold long sides toward the middle and roll burrito style.

Chicken, Apple, and Sweet Potato Skillet

Ingredients: 

  • 3 tsp. olive oil, divided use
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, finely chopped
  • 2 cups baked sweet potato, cubed
  • ¼ cup raisins
  • 8 oz. cooked chicken breast, boneless, skinless, chopped
  • 1 tsp. chopped fresh sage
  • ¼ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
  • ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
  • ¼ tsp. ground paprika

Directions: 

  1. Heat 1½ tsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and apples; cook, stirring frequently, for 6 to 7 minutes, or until mixture begins to brown. Place in a large bowl.
  2. Add potato, raisins, chicken, sage, salt, pepper, and paprika; mix well.
  3. Heat remaining 1½ tsp. oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add apple mixture, pat into an even layer in pan; cook, without stirring, for 2 minutes.
  4. Stir gently; cook for an additional 2 minutes, or until it begins to brown.
  5. Serve immediately.

Green Gazpacho

Ingredients: gazpacho

  • 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 
  • ½ cup water 
  • 2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar 
  • ½ tsp sea salt (or Himalayan salt) 
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes 
  • ½ ripe medium avocado, cut into chunks 
  • 2 medium cucumbers, peeled, coarsely chopped 
  • 1 medium shallot, finely chopped 
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped 
  • 5 medium radishes, peeled to remove red skin, chopped 
  • 4 radishes, thinly slice 1 radish, and reserve slices for garnish 
  • 1 Tbsp. toasted pine nuts 
  • ¼ cup coarsely chopped microgreens 

Directions: 

  1. Place oil, water, vinegar, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (if desired), avocado, and cucumbers in a blender in two batches, if necessary; cover. Blend until almost smooth. 
  2. Add shallot, garlic, and four chopped radishes. Blend until smooth. 
  3. Serve each portion garnished with pine nuts, microgreens, and sliced radishes.  

Slow-Cooker Turkey Meatballs

**Substitute non-dairy milk, gluten-free breadcrumbs, and vegan cheese to make gut-friendly)

Ingredients: 

  • 1 lb. raw 93% lean ground turkey 
  • ½ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt) divided use 
  • ½ tsp. ground black pepper 
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten 
  • ½ cup whole-grain panko breadcrumbs 
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped 
  • 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese 
  • 2 tsp. olive oil meatballs
  • 1 medium onion, chopped 
  • 1 (28-oz.) can of crushed whole tomatoes 
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves  

Directions: 

  1. Combine turkey, ¼ tsp. salt, pepper, egg, breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, and cheese in a large bowl; mix well with clean hands. 
  2. Roll mixture into eighteen 1½-inch meatballs. Set aside. 
  3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the meatballs; cook, turning occasionally, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the meatballs are browned on each side. Place browned meatballs in a 3-quart slow cooker. Repeat with the remaining meatballs. Set aside. 
  4. Add onion to the same skillet; cook, over medium-high heat, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until onion is translucent. 
  5. Top meatballs with cooked onion, tomatoes, oregano, and remaining ¼ tsp. salt; cook, covered, at low temperature for 5 to 6 hours, stirring once or twice.  

Want More?

If you want to know what some of the most important foods for gut health are, read my previous blog. Otherwise I have many more tips and tools for your toolbox where those came from. All of my meal plans include access to hundreds of recipes and short, easy, all levels workouts. If you have any specific recipes you would like or fitness program questions, always feel free to reach out to me. My mindset work is all-encompassing and can help you release trauma and roadblocks to ensure a more balanced and joyful life. 

Love and Light Always, Sarah

– Sarah Savino is my recommended Wellness, Mindset and Nutrition Coach who resides in Colorado but has a community of clients she guides and manages nationally. She has her frequent retreats that her clients are encouraged but not required to attend and someone who knows first hand how it is to be overworked and overweight. She is a living truth that once within the right community and with the right guide, everything is possible. She can be reached:

Dr. Shakib, your Irvine Posture Chiropractor