4 Healthy Summer Recipes to Add Color and Nutrients to Your Menu
Summertime with its long afternoons and evenings calling for cool drinks or ice cream can call you to cast your normal routine aside, which may put a cramp in your healthy eating habits. Especially when you’re on vacation!
Don’t let the summer fun and different routines ruin your diet. Learning to take advantage of the earth’s bounty and buying fresh, healthy foods in season is a great way to have fun in the summer while still maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Summer Produce in the Southeast
Summer in the southeast flaunts fruits and vegetables bound to complement any dish you dream up. Check out your local farmer’s market or produce stand to find the freshest foods of the season such as:
- Fruits: Peaches, tomatoes, blueberries, strawberries, melons, citrus, and berries.
- Veggies: Squash, zucchini, peppers, avocados, and lettuce.
- Fresh Herbs: Basil, dill, thyme, cilantro, parsley, lavender, and oregano.
Healthy Summer Recipes: Put Your Fresh Produce to Work
So, you go to your local produce stand and purchase all the fresh fruit and vegetables you can fit in your refrigerator. Now, what do you do with this colorful bounty?
Here are four delicious and healthy summer recipes to try out using your fresh produce.
1. Caprese Sandwiches
Famous in Italy during the summertime, these sandwiches include fresh mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes in between a French baguette. Make these sandwiches ahead of time and take them with you on your ventures to the beach or park this summer for a healthy picnic lunch choice.
2. Spaghetti Squash and Fresh Marinara Sauce
If you are tired of the normal spaghetti and meatballs, give this Spaghetti Squash in Marinara a try. Using seasonal items like squash, tomatoes, and herbs, you can craft a low-carb dinner for your ketogenic diet, leaving you feeling satisfied without the carb load that pasta brings.
3. Stuffed Bell Peppers with Quinoa
Stuffed bell peppers are both pleasing to the eyes and taste buds. With bright colors and complex tastes, this menu item is a healthy and easy choice to serve to a family or at a party. Stuffed with quinoa and turkey, you will get your veggies, complex carbs, and protein all in one dish.
4. Peach Sorbet
Summertime desserts usually come chock full of sugar, but not with this treat! Utilize the summer produce paired with a calorie-free soda for this 2-Ingredient Peach Sorbet. Make large batches to share with your guests at parties or freeze into molds for fun popsicle treats by the poolside.
Bee Healthy Clinic wants to help you with your summertime health goals. Visit our blog to read more articles on healthy eating and lifestyle habits.