Summer Healthy Eating Ideas

Eating Light, Eating Right

Even cooks with the most basic skills can take advantage of the wonders of summer foods and prepare delicious, good-for-you meals in just minutes. When you combine a little bit of education with simple preparation, it can be fun to mix and match flavor combinations and natural ingredients to create well-balanced meals with optimal benefits. Here are some examples.


Berries

Start the Perfect Summer Day
Berries, together with almonds, make a great topping on all-natural granolas and high-fiber cereals to provide your body the tools it needs for proper digestion. While the granola/cereal supplies the whole grains needed to fuel your body, the fruit is full of antioxidants and fiber. Best of all, this meal can take on entirely new flavors by making the slightest changes, such as strawberries one week and raspberries the next. Berries that are more exotic, such as goji berries and "yumberries", are becoming a healthy trend and easier to find in natural food stores. These are also great mixed when added to your favorite breakfast foods, like whole-grain waffles.


Add Summer Fun to Lunch
There are a few key factors to creating a lunch that incorporates the season's fresh produce. First, focus on healthy fats and omega-3s. These fats, which provide energy and have heart-health benefits, can be found in avocados, olive oil, walnuts and other nuts. There are so many ways to add these simple ingredients to salads and sandwiches. For example, avocado goes great with a turkey sandwich with a slice of fresh tomato, or as a delicious and nutritious salad topper. Speaking of salads, skip the pre-made dressings and opt for olive oil to bring positive nutrition to your salad. Be sure to also sprinkle a few nuts on top for added protein and crunch.



Taste the Summer Nights
The best way to make any dinner festive is to experiment with seasonal vegetables. Great complements to seasonal vegetables are exotic whole grains and fish. Start with brown rice or quinoa (pronounced keen-wa), which are easy to prepare in a rice cooker and can be flavored with carrots, broccoli, spinach and sunflower seeds. Also try adding Tamari or Bragg; these are great soy-sauce alternatives for seasoning your vegetable dishes. Another dinner favorite is turkey sausage and fresh tomato quarters prepared on the grill and placed on a bed of mixed greens, dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar.


After you learn how to prepare a dish or two, take some time to experiment in the kitchen and come up with your own favorite summer meals. It will make this wonderful season more memorable for you, your family and friends.