By Diana Kessler (a.k.a URBANEARTHLADY)

We are getting close to spring and I, for one, am definitely ready.

With the spring season comes a new opportunity for switching up the winter dishes you’re—let’s face it—a little tired of making! Spring is gracing us with the presence of flavorful beets, crisp snow peas, delicate carrots, and so much more. This leaves endless opportunity for spicing up the mundane, venturing into an entirely new recipe space, or keeping it simple with some feel-good roasted new potatoes.

I don’t know about you, but I often wake up after a junk food binge and declare “This is the day I’m going to start eating healthy!” There isn’t one way to start eating healthier—and we all have those days where we eat a bag of chips meant for the whole family…or, maybe that’s just me. But, one of the most effective ways to ensure that you’re eating more mindfully is to eat local, fresh food—as opposed to produce you have little clue to the origin of. Not to mention, eating locally sourced food is much kinder to the planet and supports your community.

When I kick off my self-proclaimed foray into healthy eating, I typically start with salads. I’m not sure why—but to me—adding salads to my diet equates to healthy living. I’m no plain romaine girl, though. I spend a lot of time carefully curating a “big salad” that I place in a gigantic bowl as one of my meals for the day.

Although, there’s only so much the same salad or pasta dish I make every night can offer. That’s why eating seasonally is a perfect opportunity to change up your everyday meal routine in a thoughtful, nourishing way. The Seasonal Roots Spring Guide has already inspired me to add some color to my usual salad and try my hand at some roasted garlic and spring onion new potatoes. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!

We’ve all got responsibilities that get in the way of cooking, and working from home has ironically made free-time increasingly fleeting. Try setting aside a little bit of time on a Sunday—or whenever works best for you—to meal prep a hearty, seasonal dish that you can get excited about for the rest of the week. You’ll be doing your local farmers and yourself a huge favor!

This particular salad is kale based, but you can use whatever lettuce base you’d like. This spring, Seasonal Roots is featuring bases like delicious mixed lettuce and vitamin-rich dandelion greens. I switched up my usual salad routine by adding some spring beets, snap peas, carrots, and strawberries.

The Big Salad Recipe

1 large bowl chopped kale or your choice of lettuce
2-3 beets, sliced
3-5 strawberries, sliced

1 carrot, chopped
1 handful sugar snap peas
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp sliced almonds
1/2 tsp garlic powder or minced garlic
1 pinch flaky salt
1 pinch freshly ground pepper

Toss and enjoy!

About Diana Kessler

Diana graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies. Since graduating, she’s developed her own social media platforms focused on sustainability—and is now working as a digital creator for a national campaign on climate change. In her free time, she loves to cook, read fiction books, and spend time at Virginia State Parks! Diana writes on her social platforms at https://www.instagram.com/urbanearthlady/