The summer is the perfect time to start that healthy eating regime that you’ve been putting off for months. The combination of heat, long days and a huge variety of in season fresh produce almost drags us towards a salad.
In the summer the last thing you want is the traditional fare that we normally munch on during those dark winter nights. Below I’m going to run through a couple of ways for you to take advantage of all summer has to offer to eat healthily:
Salads galore
For most of the year being faced with a salad when it comes to meal times leaves you with a bit of a hole in your stomach. But summer is different; it is probably a result of the heat but when it gets to meal times our appetites are not what they are during winter.
So if we’re not as hungry then a light refreshing salad will help keep your calorie intake low as well as making sure you get all the goodness that only fresh produce can provide.
BBQ
Nothing says it is summer like a BBQ, and it is actually a very healthy way to eat (as long as you keep the fat filled extras and side dishes to a minimum). Why is a BBQ healthy I hear you ask? Well, essentially you’re grilling the meat which is one of the healthiest ways to cook meat. If you try to avoid burgers and pork because no matter how you cook them they do contain a lot of fat. Therefore stick to chicken and lean beef steaks, or alternatively try grilled vegetable kebabs or fish as a healthy option.
Water
Due to the weather we get during the summer period we often give in to the temptation of drinking whatever is nearest to us; be it coke or alcohol. Not only do these drinks contain a lot of sugar and calories but they also don’t rehydrate your body in any significant way; in fact some research show that’s alcoholic drinks can actually lead to us getting dehydrated.
So when you’re dying for a drink this year drink a glass of cool water refreshing water to replace the fluids you’ve lost through sweating.
Top tip: as useful as these three ideas are, you may not see the kind of gains that you want if you don’t exercise regularly whilst following this healthy eating guide.
Citations:
Josh Hansen writes for XXPress PCR a British biotechnology company that are responsible for developing an innovative PCR machine.
