Rev up for spring

'Eat 5 to 9 A Day' low-calorie spring meal packs flavor, color and nutrition         

[APRIL 11, 2006]  With winter days and the craving for comfort foods nearly behind us, it's time to start planning a diet change. We're all ready and wanting high-energy and good-nutrition foods that don't weigh us down and will help us transition into longer, more active days of outdoor fun and yard chores. Some of us may even be struggling to make last year's pants and shorts fit again.

The "Eat 5 to 9 A Day" plan recipes below -- Get to Know Your Greens Salad, Chicken and Hummus Vegetable Wrap, and Peach Daiquiri -- offer a low-calorie, satisfying spring meal that's packed with flavor, color and nutrition.

Get to Know Your Greens Salad

Ingredients:

1 8-ounce can citrus salad in its own juice
1 8-ounce can apricot halves in its own juice
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons raspberry or white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups bite-sized pieces of endive
1 cup bite-sized pieces of arugula
1 cup bite-sized pieces of watercress

Preparation time: less than 30 minutes

Directions: Drain citrus salad and apricots and reserve liquid in a small bowl. Slice apricot halves lengthwise into four slices each. Set fruit aside. Whisk together canning liquid, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Combine greens in a large salad bowl. Add fruit and dressing and toss. Serve.

Serves: four

Nutrition: 86 calories, 1 gram fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol,
156 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber

Endive -- Endive is grown for its tightly packed curly leaves.
Color: green
In season: winter, spring, summer, fall
Good source of calcium, iron, potassium
Grams of fiber per serving: 1g
Calories per serving: 10
Phytochemicals: beta carotene

Purple Belgian endive -- Smooth, pale elongated vegetable; slightly bitter taste with crisp and velvety texture.
Color: blue-purple
In season: fall, winter
Good source of iron
High in vitamin A, vitamin C, folacin
Grams of fiber per serving: 1g
Calories per serving: 1

Apricots -- Round, fragile and orange to yellow.
Color: yellow-orange
In season: winter, spring, summer, fall
Good source of vitamin C, iron, potassium
High in vitamin A
Grams of fiber per serving: 2g
Calories per serving: 48
Phytochemicals: beta carotene

Vegetable Wraps with Chicken and Hummus

Ingredients:

1 cup diced cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped raw sugar snap peas
1/2 cup chopped arugula
1/2 cup hummus
4 wraps or flour tortillas
4 lettuce leaves (leaf or butter lettuce works best)

Preparation time: less than 30 minutes

Directions: Combine the chicken, cucumber, bell pepper, peas, arugula and hummus in a bowl. (You can add different vegetables according to the season and your family's preferences). Lay the wraps on the counter and cover each with a lettuce leaf. Divide the vegetable mixture among them and spread, leaving at least a half-inch border around the edge. Roll up tightly, tucking in the edges as you roll. Cut in half and wrap in plastic food film.

Serves: four

Nutrition: 190 calories, 3 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, cholesterol, 355 milligrams sodium, 10 grams dietary fiber

Snap peas -- A grass-green pod encloses peas that are typically round and sweet.
Color: green
In season: spring, summer, winter
Good source of vitamin A, vitamin B6, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus
High in vitamin C, folacin, iron, thiamin
Grams of fiber per serving: medium
Calories per serving: 81

Red peppers -- Sweet bell peppers, with three to four lobes, have a mild tang and crunchy texture.
Color: red
In season: winter, spring, summer, fall
Good source of vitamin B6, folacin
High in vitamin A, vitamin C
Grams of fiber per serving: 2g
Calories per serving: 27
Phytochemicals: beta carotene

Cucumbers -- Good-quality cucumbers should be firm, well-shaped and have an even dark green color and uniform size.
Color: green
In season: spring, summer, fall, winter
Good source of vitamin C
Grams of fiber per serving: 1g
Calories per serving: 13

Leafy greens -- Light to dark green leaves.
Color: green
In season: fall, winter, spring
Good source of iron
High in vitamin A, vitamin C, folacin
Grams of fiber per serving: 2g
Calories per serving: 16
Phytochemicals: beta carotene

Mock Frozen "Peach" Daiquiri

Ingredients:

1 cup juice packed canned peaches
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons frozen pink lemonade concentrate
1 cup crushed ice

Preparation time: less than 30 minutes

Directions: Chill peaches in freezer until very cold. Add to blender container with pink lemonade concentrate, lemon juice and crushed ice. Puree until smooth. Pour into glasses.

Serves: two

Nutrition: 74 calories, 0 grams fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 28 milligrams sodium,
1 gram fiber

Recipes courtesy of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute.

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