Summer is a time for relaxation, outdoor adventures, and enjoying delicious food. But with packed social calendars and tempting treats at every turn, it can be challenging to maintain healthy eating habits. The good news is that with a few simple strategies, you can enjoy all the season offers while nourishing your body and feeling your best. Here are eight easy summer food habits that will make healthy eating a breeze:
1. Hydrate Like a Pro
Staying hydrated is crucial year-round, but it’s especially important during the summer months when we lose more fluids through sweat. Dehydration can lead to fatigue, headaches, and even more serious health issues.
- Drink plenty of water: Carry a reusable water bottle with you and sip on it throughout the day. Aim for at least eight glasses of water daily, and increase your intake if you’re physically active or spending time outdoors.
- Choose hydrating foods: Many fruits and vegetables have high water content, such as watermelon, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, and berries. Add these to your meals and snacks to boost your hydration levels.
- Infuse your water: Make water more exciting by infusing it with fruits, vegetables, and herbs like lemon, lime, cucumber, mint, or berries. This adds flavor and encourages you to drink more.
- Limit sugary drinks: Avoid sugary sodas, juices, and sweetened beverages, which can contribute to dehydration and weight gain. Opt for water, unsweetened tea, or sparkling water instead.
- Electrolytes: If you’re enjoying a drink in the sun, hydration and balance are key. Alternate each alcoholic drink with sparkling water and lime. Try electrolytes – whether it’s a sachet added to your water, or naturally through coconut water rehydration is key before, during and after drinking alcohol.
2. Embrace Seasonal Produce
Summer is the perfect time to take advantage of the abundance of fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables. These foods are not only delicious but also packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
- Visit farmers’ markets: Explore your local farmers’ markets for the freshest, locally grown produce. This is a great way to support local farmers and discover new fruits and vegetables.
- Stock up on summer favorites: Some of the best summer produce includes berries, peaches, plums, cherries, watermelon, tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, zucchini, and leafy greens.
- Eat a rainbow: Aim to eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables to ensure you’re getting a wide range of nutrients. The different colors in foods often represent different nutrient profiles.
- Make produce the star of your meals: Incorporate fresh produce into your salads, sandwiches, stir-fries, and snacks.
- Prioritize in-season produce: Fruits and vegetables that are in season may yield more nutrients than those that are not.
3. Plan and Prep Healthy Snacks
Snacks are an important part of a balanced diet, but it’s easy to reach for unhealthy options when you’re on the go or feeling hungry. Planning and prepping healthy snacks ahead of time can help you stay on track.
- Keep healthy snacks readily available: Store cut-up fruits and vegetables, yogurt, nuts, and other healthy snacks in your refrigerator or pantry for easy access.
- Pack snacks for outings: When heading to the beach, park, or other summer activities, bring your own healthy snacks instead of relying on fast food or sugary treats. Some good options include fruit, vegetable sticks with hummus, trail mix, and whole-grain crackers.
- Make snack kabobs: Thread cheese and fruit onto thin pretzel rods for a fun and kid-friendly snack.
- Try ants on a log: Spread peanut butter on celery sticks and top with raisins.
- Create banana pops: Freeze peeled bananas with your favorite healthy toppings like nut butter, yogurt, or cereal.
4. Lighten Up Your Meals
Heavy, greasy foods can leave you feeling sluggish and uncomfortable in the summer heat. Opt for lighter, more refreshing meals that won’t weigh you down.
- Choose lean protein sources: Focus on fish, poultry, beans, and tofu instead of red meat and processed meats.
- Grill or bake instead of frying: Grilling and baking are healthier cooking methods that reduce the amount of fat in your meals.
- Use lighter dressings and sauces: Instead of creamy dressings and heavy sauces, opt for vinaigrettes, lemon juice, or herb-based sauces.
- Make salads your main course: Load up on leafy greens, vegetables, and lean protein for a satisfying and nutritious meal.
- Enjoy chilled soups: Cold soups like gazpacho are a refreshing and healthy way to cool down on a hot day.
5. Smart Summer Grilling
Barbecues are a summer staple, but they can easily derail your healthy eating goals. With a few smart choices, you can enjoy grilling without sacrificing your health.
- Choose lean meats: Opt for skinless chicken breasts, fish, or lean cuts of beef or pork.
- Marinate your meats: Marinating adds flavor and helps to tenderize your meats. Use healthy marinades made with herbs, spices, and citrus juice.
- Load up on vegetables: Grill vegetables like corn, zucchini, peppers, and onions for a healthy and flavorful side dish.
- Make healthy swaps: Instead of hamburgers and hot dogs, try lean turkey burgers or veggie burgers.
- Skip the salt, cut the fat: When grilling, choose lean, unprocessed meats. And, when cooking, choose unsaturated fats and use less sodium. Experiment with herbs, spices and vinegars to add flavor.
6. Limit Sweet Temptations
Summer is full of tempting treats like ice cream, slushies, and sugary drinks. While it’s okay to indulge occasionally, it’s important to limit your intake of these high-sugar items.
- Watch out for sorbet: If you can’t tolerate dairy, sorbets are a great option — they’re dairy-free and ideal for those avoiding lactose – but they’re typically made with fruit, sugar, and water. While they might sound lighter, they can actually cause a sharper spike in blood sugar due to the lack of fat or protein. Fruit-based sorbets made with real fruits are another good option as they are much lower in fat compared to ice cream, but they can sometimes be high in sugar, so it’s important to look at having no more than 12g of sugar per portion
- Choose healthier desserts: Instead of ice cream, try frozen yogurt, fruit sorbet, or a homemade fruit crumble.
- Make your own frozen treats: Blend frozen fruit with yogurt or milk for a healthy and refreshing smoothie or popsicle.
- Sweeten naturally: Use natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, or dates in moderation.
- Be aware of hidden sugars: Many processed foods and drinks contain added sugars. Read labels carefully and choose products with lower sugar content.
- Minimize sweet temptations: They’re calling you — ice cream cones, slushies, iced coffees and teas, lemonade — but they’re all laden with sugar.
7. Dine and Shop Smart
Whether you’re eating out or grocery shopping, making smart choices can help you stay on track with your healthy eating goals.
- Read labels: Use Nutrition Facts labels and ingredient lists to make informed decisions about the foods you’re buying.
- Plan your meals: Planning your meals ahead of time can help you avoid impulsive and unhealthy choices.
- Make a shopping list: Stick to your shopping list when you’re at the grocery store to avoid buying unhealthy snacks and processed foods.
- Choose healthy options when dining out: Look for restaurants that offer healthy menu options and ask for modifications when needed. For example, you can ask for dressings on the side or request that your food be grilled instead of fried.
- Use portion control: Those morning pastries, afternoon cookies and evening desserts add up.
8. Stay Active
In addition to healthy eating, staying active is essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle during the summer months.
- Find activities you enjoy: Whether it’s swimming, hiking, biking, or playing sports, find activities you enjoy and make them a regular part of your routine.
- Take advantage of the weather: Summer is the perfect time to exercise outdoors.
- Set realistic goals: Start with small, achievable goals and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts.
- Stay motivated: Find a workout buddy or join a fitness class to stay motivated and accountable.
- Listen to your body: Rest when you need to and don’t push yourself too hard, especially in hot weather.
By incorporating these eight simple food habits into your summer routine, you can enjoy all the season offers while maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Remember that it’s all about making small, sustainable changes that you can stick with long-term. So, relax, have fun, and enjoy the delicious flavors of summer!
