Eating seasonally is always best for health because foods contain more nutrients when eaten fresh and haven’t sat in a supermarket store rooms for many months. Plus, the taste and texture of foods in season is vastly improved when they’re eaten at the time of year nature intended.

May brings us deliciously fresh greens to bring colour to our plates as well as other salad staples.

Clinical nutritionist Suzie Sawyer shares her five top seasonal foods this May.

Asparagus

Now prized by chefs around the world for its delicate taste and texture, and also within traditional medicine, asparagus is certainly a great vegetable of the season.

Medicinally, asparagus is an effective diuretic so works well within any detoxification programme. It’s also used by weight trainers and body builders because it’s a low calorie, fat-free food that helps eliminate excess water from the muscles. However, for those just wanting to enjoy a delicious and healthy food, asparagus contains plenty of energising folate, immune-boosting vitamin C and vitamin E plus beta-carotene.

Steam or boil asparagus gently. It is perfect sprinkled with parmesan cheese, wrapped in Parma ham or served with hollandaise sauce.

Watercress

Watercress has gained much credence over recent years and has often been hailed as a ‘superfood’. It was used in traditional medicine to treat liver and kidney disorders and is also a natural antibiotic. However, much of its acclaim stems from it being a member of the super-healthy crucifer family. Watercress is certainly in good company alongside Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, cabbage and cauliflower.

Watercress is a healthy salad vegetable so it makes sense to include it every time you’re preparing a salad. It’s a great source of vitamin C as well as iron, which is so often deficient in our daily diets.

These dark green, peppery tasting leaves are not only great in salads but also in a super-easy lunch dish with tinned cannellini beans, lemon zest, mixed sun-dried tomatoes and olives.

Jersey Royal New Potatoes

A real British staple for so many people, Jersey Royals have a unique taste and texture and they’re in season right now.

With the increased popularity of low-carb diets, potatoes have often been ditched from the daily diet. However, it’s the free sugars that are most problematic for people and can hi-jack a weight-loss plan rather than nutrient and fibre-rich foods such as potatoes. That said, it’s generally best to eat carbohydrates earlier in the day. Potatoes often get forgotten when discussing nutrients, but they’re a great source of vitamin C and heart-loving potassium.

Jersey Royals need nothing more than lightly boiling, served with a little butter and fresh mint and are the perfect accompaniment to any fish or chicken dish. Equally, they’re great eaten cold so can be added to your lunch-time salad for a delicious treat.

Sea trout

We talk about salmon as being a rich source of omega-3s but trout often gets forgotten. However, just like wild salmon sea trout is a great option. It has a darker colour due to the astaxanthin-rich algae the fish naturally eat; astaxanthin is an amazingly powerful antioxidant. Plus it tastes so much better than the slightly bland supermarket farmed trout.

Trout is a great source of the omega-3 fats which are essential for the heart, eyes, joint, hormones and skin. Plus it can be eaten in much the same way as salmon, although sea trout particularly lends itself to barbecuing, served with a shallot and lemon sauce.

Radishes

Whilst eating radishes may be a slightly acquired taste, it’s well worth getting to like them as they’re another member of the health-giving cruciferous family of vegetables. They make a great snack or salad vegetable for the summer months. This is because they’re high in vitamin C which is needed for collagen production, helping prevent lines and wrinkles that are often more noticeable when skin is at its driest. However, vitamin C is also a very powerful antioxidant so it will help protect the skin against sun damage.

Radishes are low in calories so are very popular with those watching their weight. However, they’re also great added to a tray of crudités served with hummus and taramasalata.

So enjoy these five healthy, tasty and versatile foods that should be eaten right now whilst in season.

FOR MORE GREAT DIET AND LIFESTYLE ADVICE:

Sign up to receive our blog and get a weekly dose of the latest nutrition, health and wellness advice direct to your inbox.

Follow us on Twitter @feelaliveuk for nutrition, lifestyle and well-being tips.

Visit us at www.feelaliveuk.com for the latest offers and exclusive Alive! content.

Follow and Chat with Suzie on Twitter @nutritionsuzie

For everything you need to know about vitamins, minerals and herbs visit our sister site Herbfacts