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Often, animals can teach us lessons. Sometimes my dog eats some pretty questionable things, and I won't go into detail here. But, in the Spring, she sets an excellent example. As soon as the first shoots of grass push through the earth, she excitedly bites off a few blades, chews and swallows with relish like she had been waiting for this delicacy the whole long winter.

The lesson: Spring is a time to eat fresh greens. Our bodies need them. Fresh greens are nutrient dense, loaded with vitamins, minerals, trace minerals and chlorophyll, which cleanses the blood.

Dandelion greens, for instance, contain vitamins A, B, C, folic acid, calcium, iron, manganese, potassium, silica, bioflavinoids, chlorophyll and insulin. They stimulate liver and gallbladder function and can help with kidney stones. Generally, they help the body remove toxins. Pretty good for such a lowly weed.

I'm not suggesting that we get down on all fours on the lawn and graze. We can, however, browse the supermarket shelves for cultivated dandelion greens, kale, collards, mustard greens, baby spinach, or mixed organic lettuce.

Or, if you have a garden or greenhouse, picking and preparing your own greens is a surefire way to stoke your body's energy and make the memory of winter fade into oblivion. Ah, the sweet smell of earth and so many shades of color, delicate yellow-green to deep emerald.

For those who enjoy foraging for wild foods and are adept at plant identification forest and fields offer up such delicacies as lamb's quarters, dandelion greens, watercress, sorel, purslane, various mints and the annual New Brunswick treat, fiddleheads.

An easy and economical way to get fresh greens into your diet is to grow your own sprouts. Sprouts have lots of nutrition. They provide what the plant needs to grow to maturity. Any seed can be sprouted, but some of the more popular options are alfalfa, mung or other beans, and chick peas.

Soak the seeds overnight in a glass container. Rinse and place them in a jar with a screen or cheesecloth over the top and place in a dark place. Rinse several times per day. When they start to sprout, place them in sunlight to green them up and continue to rinse a few times a day. You can have volumes of fresh greens within a few days for pennies.

There are many ways to prepare and eat Spring greens, the most obvious being in a salad. Raw greens contain the most nutrients and can add color, texture and variety to your usual salad.

Or, they can be steamed lightly and served with pepper and olive oil. Toss them into a stir fry after the heat has been turned off. Clear vegetable broth with raw wilted greens is another option. Experiment with the flavors. Greens can be bitter, sour or some, decidedly sweet.

Green is the most abundant color on earth. It symbolizes growth, hope and health. It makes sense to bring more of it into your diet.

n Elaine Mandrona is a locally based registered nutritional consulting practicioner who advises people on nutrition and weight loss, as well as a Nutritionist with Healthier for Life Nutrition and Weight Loss Centre. If you would like to reach her, please phone 874-8142.