After spending the winter craving creamy comfort food, as the days become sunnier and longer, I find myself yearning for fresh, bright flavors. Are your meals ready for a spring “makeover” as well? Here’s what works for me:
Get grilling. Now that the weather is nicer, I like to start grilling outside. What’s more delicious than a perfectly grilled steak seasoned to perfection and topped with a bright Chimichurri Sauce? You can also try Rib Eye Steak with Red Wine Sauce, and be sure to check out our guide to grilling the perfect steak.
Just add veggies. Now is the time to take advantage of all the spring vegetables coming in season, including artichokes, asparagus, spinach, snow peas, Swiss chard, radicchio and more. There’s nothing better than fresh vegetables drizzled with a rich sauce, like Hollandaise Sauce or Broccoli Florets with Lemon Butter Sauce. And you can slice up leftover grilled steak and serve over a fresh spinach salad.
Put some “spring” in your snacks. Healthy snacks will keep your metabolism moving and your hunger at bay. Make sure you have cut-up fresh vegetables on hand and enjoy with 1 tablespoon of ranch, blue cheese, Italian or homemade Green Goddess dressing. Roll up sliced ham, turkey, roast beef, smoked salmon or even leftover grilled steak or chicken with asparagus, cucumber or avocado and spread with aioli, mayo, cream cheese or egg salad. And speaking of eggs, cook up a batch of hard-boiled eggs for a protein-packed on-the-go snack or as deviled eggs. Make snacking even more convenient by keeping some of your favorite flavors of Atkins bars and shakes on hand.
And, don’t forget… now that the weather is warming up, it’s time to get moving. If you’re new to exercise, start slowly. Take the dog for a walk, hit the park with your kids, skip the elevator or escalator in favor of the stairs and park farther from your destination. You can also read this recent blog I wrote, which has more exercise suggestions.
