By Beth Johnson
Dietetic Intern

It’s time to buy local! Spring is here, and there are several varieties of fruits and vegetables already springing up at all of the local farms in Massachusetts. Right about now and for the next couple of weeks, you’ll start seeing the first crops of the year. Freshly picked foods like asparagus, arugula, beets, cabbage, strawberries, peas, spinach, lettuce and collard greens will be freshly available for you to enjoy!

Try adding a handful of spinach to your daily salad. Spinach is high in vitamin B6 vitamin B9 (folic acid) and vitamins A and K. Vitamin A helps maintain eye health, mucus membrane function, skin, bone and teeth growth, and has immune and cancer protection properties. Vitamin K helps with blood clotting and regulates Calcium levels in the blood. Folate plays a large role in creating new cells, while B6 helps the body break down protein and fat for energy.  What more of a reason would you need to include such a powerful vegetable in your diet? You can find spinach and other fresh and local fruits and vegetables at the following Farmers Markets around Boston:

• Boston Public Market/Greenway Farmers’ Market

• Boston/Copley Square Farmers’ Market

• Boston/Northeastern University Farmers’ Market

• Boston/South Station/Dewey Square Farmers’ Market

• Boston/SOWA Farmers’ Market

• Boylston/Hillside Farmers’ Market

• Revere/Revere Beach Farmers’ Market

Happy Spring and best of luck to you on your quest to find the freshest local fruits and vegetables possible!

(Post content reviewed by the Department of Nutrition and Food Services)