Your body needs more hydrating food for the summer months than ever. Especially in tropical climates of South Asia. Most of the regions in India experience scorching heat during summers. Going outdoor without carrying water is like risking your life, literally!
Thankfully, summer is the season when plenty of fresh produces grow. Providing healthy summer food to add to your diet. Most of which are good for your health. You get a variety of fruits from delicious melons to juicy mangoes. The season of sunshine brims with many healthy choices, it will drive you mad.
It is time to clap our hands and dust off the bread crumbs. And stick to salsas and refreshing coolers this summer. There are so many summer superfoods that are easy to prepare for friends and family. And some of the healthy summer food you can make at home are –
Iced Coffee
A summer morning with an Iced Coffee will lift your spirit and certainly wake you up. In fact, drinking a single cup of coffee every day may prevent you from developing skin cancer. It has been proven that consuming coffee has lowered the risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer by 10%. It is also effective against the risk of Alzheimer’s and diabetes. This is because caffeine is rich in antioxidants called flavonoids.
Fruit Salad
Oftentimes, we tend to skip meals during summer due to heat. So fruit salads are a good substitute for food. It not only fills your tummy but the fluids from the fruits will keep you hydrated. Many types of fruits grow during summer making it a delightful option. The health benefits are immeasurable, to say the least. You can mix a bunch of fruits, kale, lettuce and a variety of sprouts.
Watermelon
Watermelon is one of the healthiest fruits out there for summers. It also keeps you hydrated and keeps the body cool. By eating watermelon, drinking water can also be optional. Because the melon contains 92% of water. Watermelon also provides skin-protecting lycopene which is an organic pigment, and carotenoid. It is also proven that eating fruits that contain water will keep give you fewer calories.
Cucumber
Another go-to food item for the summer is Cucumber. It is an essential item used in many dishes, ideally salads. It is even used as a side dish alongside rice and dal. But as simple as cucumber may look, it has high nutritional value. This vegetable is made up of 95% water, 3% more than watermelon. And it has low in calories and cholesterol. Cucumbers also have a soothing texture often used to cover the eye.
Salsa
Salsa is a popular Mexican-American side dish widely popular across the world. There are two kinds of salsa mixes – Liquid and Chunks. While the salsa mix in chunks is easy to prepare, the ones in liquid form have to be ground well. Salsa’s go well with roasted chips. You need basic ingredients like tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, garlic cloves, lime etc. You can even add peanuts to the salsa.
Sweet Corn
Summer is incomplete without the taste of sweet corn. Though corn may not possess a large % of water, it definitely has two antioxidants – Lutein and Zeaxanthin. These antioxidants are good for the eye. In fact, they act as a natural sun glare to protect the eye. It lowers the risk of macular degeneration over the age of 60.
Fresh Juice
Juice is the most common summer item in every household. It can be of different flavours – Orange to Mango and even Grapes. It is a typical item for summer breakfast. A freshly squeezed juice is nutritious and a great substitute for water, either plain water or flavoured. There is nothing more soul-soothing than the taste of a fresh juice directly from the fruit.
Iced Tea
Like Iced Coffee, Iced Tea also contains antioxidants called flavonoids. This is good for your health as it has proven to lower the risk of diabetes and Alzheimers. Besides that, Iced Tea is delicious, no matter what kind you choose, green, black, oolong or herbal, it has rich properties. It even gives you healthier teeth and gums. For summers, you can prepare a batch of flavoured tea and store it in your refrigerator and drink it the next morning. Adding lemon or orange will preserve the flavonoids.
FAQs
There is much healthy food that helps to shed a little weight during summers. Some of which are Salsa, Cherries, Portobello Mushrooms, Grapefruit, Watermelon, Ceviche, Cucumbers etc.
From fruits to vegetables there are many food items that add nutritional value. Broccoli is one such item that provides good amounts of fibre. Apples are a good source of antioxidants. Anything green vegetables are of benefit to your health.
Watermelon is the best summer fruit that helps cut down body weight. It consists of water and dietary fibre. Watermelon is often considered for a weight loss diet by Nutritionists.