I live in the frosty Northeast, and we're all counting the signs of Spring: a couple of robins in the field off Richville Road, a patch of brown grass (green grass will arrive soon!) close to the southern side of the house, a cyclist or two out on the road on a partly sunny, mid-40's weekend; and of course the sign-up deadlines for Little League and lacrosse.

With the arrival of Spring, it's time to throw off wintertime eating habits in favor of lighter, fresher flavors. Of course, throwing off a few extra and unwanted wintertime pounds wouldn't hurt, either! Here are my five tips to change your eating habits to welcome Spring, and the shorts, short-sleeved shirts, and (dare we hope?), bathing suits sure to come:

1. Start by changing your breakfast. Instead of hot oatmeal, pour a bowl of high-fiber cold cereal. Top it with fresh fruit instead of the frozen fruit you've been using all winter. You can almost taste Spring!
2. Reach for cold, instead of comforting hot, beverages. Iced tea, especially iced green tea, provides healthful antioxidants and a fresh, clean flavor. Of course, ice-cold water never goes out of style, but it's definitely a lot more appealing in Spring!
3. Look for spring vegetables in the supermarket or farmers market. My favorites: asparagus (try it broiled with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper), and spinach (add handfuls of fresh spinach to a tossed salad, or pack it on your sandwich in place of lettuce). You're sure to find gorgeous, fresh sping vegetables at the store; use up your wintertime frozen veggies, and splurge on spring!
4. Get out the grill! Our gas grill sits on the back porch, where it's been covered in snow and ice for the past few months. We know Spring is here when we can get to the grill, and we don't mind standing outside cooking our dinner! Sure, steaks and burgers are backyard grill favorites, but don't forget about grilled veggies. In my way of thinking, any type of grilled vegetable tells me that Spring is on the way!
5. Replace hot vegetables with cold salads. Instead of baked potatoes, offer up fresh potato salad. Lightly steam green beans, and toss them into a salad of raw vegetables instead of serving hot green beans with bacon. Let fresh spinach inspire a tantalizing raw spinach salad to replace the wintertime standard sauteed spinach.