Fresh fruits and vegetables are the main things missing in most unhealthy diets. But if eating these items becomes a treat… you’re more likely to stick to it.

And when you do, they will start replacing calorie-dense foods in your diet, making it easier to slim down. Listed are the freshest, most in-season produce on the market right now. Enjoy! 🙂

Apricots: Delicious raw when ripe, but if you have trouble finding perfectly soft apricots, try grilling slightly under-ripe fruit to bring out the sweetness. Serve with a little plain yogurt and bittersweet chocolate for a great dessert.

Fennel: This earthy plant tastes faintly like licorice, and it’s delicious with seafood. Try tossing it in olive oil and roasting with orange zest and onions for a great side dish.

Jicama: This vegetable tastes a bit like a rm, less-sweet pear… and looks a little like a potato. It’s sturdy, so it’s great for dips like hummus, guacamole, and caramelized onion dip.

Blueberries: Delicious as a quick snack, blueberries Consider tossing them into a salad or even a stir-fry for an addictive punch of sweetness.

Garlic: Available all year round but especially fresh and pungent in the late spring. Look for tight heads of garlic with no soft spots, and the paper outside still intact. And if you see garlic with purple streaks, that’s a good thing! Try roasting your garlic in the oven until golden brown and soft to mellow out the pungent flavor.

Jicama: This vegetable tastes a bit like a rm, less-sweet pear… and looks a little like a potato. It’s sturdy, so it’s great for dips like hummus, guacamole, and caramelized onion dip.

Mushrooms: If you see fresh mushrooms, pick them up immediately – when they’re in season, the flavor is incredibly earthy and rich. And any mushroom works beautifully sautéed in a hot pan with olive oil, sea salt, and a little thyme – just make sure the pan is hot and don’t over ll it.

Parsley: More than just garnish on your plate. Parsley (especially ultra- flavorful Italian parsley deserves to be treated like a vegetable in its own right. Finely dice parsley and toss with beans, brown rice, and tomatoes for a flavorful treat, use it to make pesto, or chop it into a salad.

Strawberries: They’re so good on their own that you really don’t need to do a thing to strawberries, but if you end up with an under-ripe batch, here’s a tip: slice them thin and sprinkle with the juice of an orange and a TINY bit of almond extract to highlight the natural sweetness.

Turnips: This root, gets mistaken for a radish, are earthy and delicious when simply roasted. They’re also a delicious stand-in for potatoes. Just steam them and mash with a little butter.

Mustard Greens: Kale’s peppery cousin, mustard greens are delicious sautéed with garlic, olive oil, and raisins. They also work as wraps, cooked into soups, and thinly sliced into stir-fries.

Rhubarb: This sour stem is unusual, in that it’s mostly used in sweet dishes, and it’s a classic with strawberries. Dessert aside, its delicious pickled, roasted with onions and carrots, and shaved thin over a salad with a little goat cheese.

To your health!