Spring is a great time to enjoy delicious, filling foods that are easy to make at home. With the nicer weather, more people are wanting to eat and fill up quickly to go outside for fun activities like sports or finally being able to attend the farmer’s market. After all, who doesn’t want to take advantage of access to fresh fruits and veggies when they’re available? Here are a few simple DIY food ideas that are perfect for spring:
- Fresh fruit skewers: Cut up your favorite fruits (such as strawberries, pineapple, and kiwi) and thread them onto skewers. Serve with a yogurt dip for a refreshing and healthy snack. Lightly glazed with honey and dipped in diced nuts adds a protein boost.
- Veggie dip cups: Cut up your favorite veggies (such as carrots, cucumbers, and bell peppers) and serve them with a homemade dip made from Greek yogurt and herbs or your favorite grocery store dressings like ranch or thousand island dressing.
- Homemade popsicles: Mix together fruit juice, sugar, and water (lemon juice for a lemonade flavor) pour into popsicle molds, and freeze for a refreshing treat. Watermelon, pineapple, and strawberry are in-demand spring flavors for popsicles.
- Spring roll bowls: Take the classic spring roll and make it into a bowl! Simply fill a lettuce leaf with cooked rice, veggies, and your protein of choice. Buying precut and precooked meat like steak or chicken slices will make this filling spring roll bowl faster to make.
- Pasta Salad: Make a pasta salad with your favorite pasta (rotini is a popular choice), veggies, and a light dressing. This is a great option for large get-togethers, like a picnic or potluck, or as a cool filling food to satisfy your spring tastebuds.
- Strawberry shortcake skewers: Alternate layers of fresh strawberries and pound cake cubes on skewers, and serve with whipped cream. Not only is this sweet treat delicious and filling, but it also puts a new spin on a classic dessert.
- Popcorn: Popcorn is a great snack for spring, you can make it with butter and salt, or add your own flavor like white cheddar, sour cream with onion, or even caramel. Flavors for popcorn are available in-store and specialty flavors online for popcorn aficionados.
- Chocolate-covered strawberries: Dip fresh strawberries in melted chocolate and put them in the refrigerator to harden for a sweet treat. While milk chocolate is the most common, dark chocolate adds an additional healthy spin to this delicious treat.
- Jar salads: Cut up your favorite toppings (such as onions, bacon, and bell peppers) and layer them in a jar until the jar is half full, then layer the rest of the jar with diced salad (such as fresh lettuce and fresh spinach). Dump in a bowl, add dressing, and voila.
- Yogurt parfait: Layer yogurt, granola, and fresh berries (such as blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries) in a jar or cup for a delicious and healthy snack. While regular granola is often used, mix it up with millet seeds or chocolate mixed with amaranth. Delicious!
- Triple treat: Slice up summer sausage or your choice of meat plus cheese, stack the slices on top of multigrain crackers, and you have a filling triple treat for your tastebuds.
- Smoothie Bowls: Blend together your favorite fruits and veggies, pour into a bowl, and top with your favorite toppings. Sliced fruit, granola, and nuts are popular toppings.
- Apple crisps: Thinly slice apples with a knife or mandolin, place in a bowl, coat with a mixture of maple syrup and cinnamon, lay out slices on a prepared pan, and bake on parchment paper for 1.5 to 2 hours on 250 (turn slices every 30 min), let cool and enjoy.
- Sweet and salty mix: Combine your favorite nuts (such as cashews, almonds, and walnuts) with your favorite dried fruits (like cranberries, bananas, and apricots). For an extra touch of sweetness, add candy-coated chocolate or dark chocolate chunks. Yum!
- Spring pretzels: To make spring pretzels you’ll need to start with a bag of pretzels, white chocolate, and peppermint. Melt the chocolate, combine the melted chocolate with the peppermint, dip pretzels in the chocolate, cool on a tray, and enjoy the deliciousness.
These are just some easy DIY food ideas for spring. With a little creativity, you can come up with many more delicious and even healthy foods to enjoy this season. After all, if there are certain times of the year when creativity in the kitchen takes over, spring is definitely one of those times. Maybe you’re not adept in the kitchen and worry about messing things up. Remember: No one is an expert when it comes to the kitchen… at first.
Practice makes perfect. So, take advantage of the fresh produce that is available during spring and have fun experimenting with new food ideas. Perhaps you’ll find your calling in the kitchen instead of out in the wild. You might discover a new love you didn’t know you had. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it and in the kitchen, these DIY foods for spring certainly prove that. Enjoy these scrumptious recipes!