Fresh Flavors, Fresh Starts
Written by Sophia Kim
With the seasons becoming warmer and the cold leaving, spring brings many opportunities to explore new habits and reset before summer comes. I have found that approaching these new beginnings with cold dishes is refreshing and helps keep the productive momentum going. Here are a few dishes I keep as staples when the weather turns warm.
Soba noodles are quite easy to prepare and taste amazing. It only takes a few ingredients to make. I typically have them with fresh shredded radish and strips of roasted seaweed. You first have to prepare the noodles according to package directions, rinse them, and then add them to a bowl of ice with the soba sauce you can buy from the store. Then, garnish with radish and seaweed, and you have a quick dish to enjoy on busy days.
Pasta salad is also something you can prepare the night before for lunch or a snack. You simply need fusilli noodles, Italian dressing, and deli meats for the basis of it. The ingredients are highly flexible and typically include olives, cucumbers, cheese cubes, pepperoni, and tomatoes. However, these can be swapped out for really anything. After cooking the pasta, you just throw all the ingredients together and stick the pasta salad in the fridge to marinate.
Spring always gives me a lot of motivation to start new habits like cleaning, studying for upcoming exams, and improving myself personally. This is most likely because of the increase in sunlight, longer days, and blooming flowers. Many people find this as well and use the season as a reminder that small changes add up. What you eat is a small choice made daily that is essential to physical and mental health. Choosing to eat foods that are nutritious or comforting is a great way to care for yourself. Whether it is a cold bowl of soba to cool you down after cleaning, or a pasta salad that makes meal prepping a habit, eating well is the basis of new beginnings and springing forward to summer.
Check out our Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!
