It’s spring! At least it’s supposed to be spring (I don’t think Iowa has been informed but I’ve been told to wait a few days…) And spring fruits and vegetables will be available soon. Maybe they are already where you live. Be looking for some of the best high fiber low calorie choices available all year.

Spring is the time of year when more people think about losing a few (or more) of those extra pounds. You might think the peak of the weight loss diets is in January with well-meaning New Year’s Resolutions. But from what I understand more people get serious about weight loss in the spring because shorts and bathing suit weather is just around the corner.

So keep in mind low calorie, high fiber fruits and vegetables. I can’t think of a better way to fill up and be satisfied with fewer total calories. You may want to read a couple of articles I posted earlier to refresh your memory about the benefits of high fiber foods for weight loss and better health. Dietary Fiber: Can it help you with weight loss? and High Fiber Diet for Weight Loss.

As with the previous season’s lists (click on Articles in the menu bar at the top of this page), the calories refer to the fruit or vegetable, both prepared and served, without added sauces, sugar, or other additional calories.

SPRING VEGETABLES

(I included artichokes as a high fiber winter vegetable but they should continue to be available in the spring. Artichokes are great for dieters because they take some time to eat. Not only does this give your body time to register when you are full but there is something satisfying about being able to eat longer.)

Green peas (sometimes called English peas as opposed to sugar snap peas or snow peas. English peas are what most Americans are more familiar with eating.) 1/2 cup cooked has 67 calories and 4.4 grams of fiber.

Spinach - 1/2 cup cooked spinach has only 21 calories with 4.3 grams of fiber. Or you can eat washed and clean raw spinach to your heart’s content. 1 cup raw leaves have only 7 calories or so with 0.7 grams of fiber.

(Consider making a large chef salad with spinach leaves, mixed greens, green peas, asparagus, tomatoes, and more for lots of fiber and very few calories overall.)

Asparagus - 1/2 cup cooked has about 85 calories with 1.8 grams of fiber.

Swiss chard - 1 cup cooked has 35 calories with 3.7 grams of fiber.

SPRING FRUITS

Strawberries lead the group. For only 53 calories you can have a cup of sliced strawberries that will provide you with 3.3 grams of fiber.

Figs - Have you ever eaten fresh figs? Yum! 2 medium figs have 74 sweet calories along with 2.8 grams of fiber. Forget the Fig Newtons when you can have fresh figs. Good quality figs are very satisfying.

Papaya - O.K. papaya may not be local (many are grown in Hawaii and other tropical regions of the world) but it’s still a good choice. 1 small papaya (about 4 1/2 inches long x 2 3/4 inches in diameter) has only 59 calories and yields 2.7 grams of fiber.

Apricots - 3 small fresh apricots will cost you only 51 calories and give you 2.1 grams of fiber.

Cherries - My husband and I could eat fresh cherries by the bucket. Not a good idea as far as the calories go but hey, you can have 10 fresh cherries for only 50 calories or so and 2 grams of fiber.

Lots of great choices. Remember as a general rule that vegetables will have fewer calories and sometimes more fiber. But fruit is a great choice for satisfying a sweet tooth without the high calorie cost of most desserts.