Hip hip hooray! Finally, spring is here and with it a plethora of fresh fruits and vegetables. I, for one, could not be more excited! After a long dreary winter and a limited assortment of available fruits and veggies (anyone else tired of apples and root vegetables?), the prospect of flowers, sunshine, melon, and spinach are almost too wonderful to fathom.

I can't wait to get my hands on some spring produce; I am especially looking forward to heading down to my favorite green market and seeing what the local farmers have to offer.

Eating in season, locally grown fare has many benefits:

1. Encourages variety and diversity in your diet.

Eating what's in season will help you eat different fruits and vegetables throughout the year. This constant rotation of different foods means your body will get a greater variety of nutrients.

2. Less expensive.

Plain and simple, eating in season will save you money. When a food is in season the amount available is more plentiful so prices go down.

3. Supports local economies and farmers.

When you shop for locally grown produce, your money is going to help farmers in your region stay in business.

4. Tastes better.

A strawberry you purchase from your local grocery store in the winter is not nearly as flavorful or juicy as one you find spring to summer. They simply do not compare.

5. Kinder to the environment.

Locally grown fruit and vegetables do not have to take as long of a trek to get from farm to plate. Which means less energy is used to transport locally grown produce compared to those coming from various parts of the country or other countries.

This season, I'm uber eager to pick up my spring time favorites:

• Honeydew Melon
• Strawberries
• Spinach
• Asparagus
• Fiddlehead Ferns
• Apricots
• Lychee

For a more comprehensive list of in season fruits check out the link below.

Fruits & Veggies More Matters: What's In Season Spring?

What are you excited to eat, see, and do now that Old Man Winter has blown away?