Lettuce – You'll need one that says slow-bolting. (Bolting means it sends up a flower stalk and is going to seed. As soon as that flower stalk starts going up, the lettuce will taste bitter.) Pretty much what you see for sale on a seed rack in your area, will be suited to your area. If you live in the southeast, then don't even try to grow a head lettuce. Loose-leaf is what you'll be growing.
Arugula – Arugula is my favorite green. It can be eaten raw, or wilted. It can be used in a salad or be the whole salad. You can use it on pizza! You can use it anywhere you might use spinach. It has a peppery taste. Arugula can be used after it bolts too. I love to use the flower buds or even the opened flowers.
Cilantro – Cilantro likes cool weather. But you really want it with your tomatoes in the summer, but you just can't. Too bad. You can use cilantro until it turns brown, and then you can collect the brown seeds. Those seeds are then called coriander. Use them in the kitchen, but save some for planting in the fall.
Spinach and Mustard
Onion sets – You can grow these for green onions or for bigger slicing onions. You plant closer for green onions and farther apart for slicers. You can buy a whole bag of sets for less than $2- half what you'll pay for a bag of eating size onions in the store. You can even put them in pots and have green onions in no time!
Sugar snap peas – I like to presprout them by soaking the seeds overnight and then wrapping in a damp paper towel. Keep it in something covered so it doesn't dry out until the seeds start to sprout. This will give them a head start they will need once they get planted in the still-cool ground.
Look at the back of the seed pack to see how tall they will
Radishes – Radishes will give you satisfaction and something to eat quicker than anything! They are also one of the best vegetables to plant with children because the seeds are big enough for their small fingers to handle, and they will be ready to pick in 3 – 4 weeks. Bonus: You can also eat the greens! Who knew?! I just started eating them last year. I can't believe I've been just composting all that food!
There are others to plant in the spring, but this is what I have going. The main thing is to get out there and get some dirt under your nails. Y'all go grow something!