For many people, summer is a naturally vibrant season to relax and celebrate, go on road trips, beach vacations, have barbecues and pool parties. If you think about it long enough, you’ll practically start drooling as you imagine all of the different cool drinks, frozen ice cream and other favorite summer treats you’re going to have.
Of course, there’s zero shame in having your favorite foods and desserts, but if there’s a little voice in the back of your head making you worried about eating healthy, we’ve got you covered.
There are so many different ways to balance enjoying your favorite treats while also being sure to fuel your body with healthy food, and it’s a lot easier than you might think.
In this article, we’re going to break down some of the top healthy foods for summer, give you plenty of summer food ideas to boost your health and immune system, and share with you some of the best healthy eating habits you can implement in your life.
Top benefits of eating healthy
Weight loss is, by far, the most popular benefit of eating healthy, but there are a multitude of other benefits you might be interested to know about.
Some of these top benefits include:
- Boosting your immune system
- Strengthening your bones and building muscles
- Lowering the risk of disease and even cancer
- Supporting proper brain, heart and organ function
The best part is you don’t have to subject yourself to excruciating exercise regimes or bland food to get these benefits either — you simply need to follow a few key healthy eating habits.
Healthy summer eating habits
We’ve compiled a list of five of the best healthy eating habits for you to adopt this summer to make you feel incredible, inside and out.
1. Ditch the diets (we mean it)
As free and exciting as summer can feel, for some people, they feel a pressure to commit even more deeply to a “summer shred” workout program, or a rigid diet that will make them “bathing suit ready.” But these short-term weight loss methods don’t often work, and typically cause more damage, physically and mentally, than good. Give yourself permission to enjoy the summer.
2. Drink more water than any other beverage
While there’s nothing wrong with enjoying your favorite chilled drinks, be sure to be regularly consuming 8-to-10 glasses of water a day in order to promote better organ and body functionality.
3. Enjoy lighter, brighter meals
Hot weather can decrease your appetite, and while some fasting can be good for you, regularly skipping meals isn’t. Make an effort to stock the fridge with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables to encourage healthier snacks as well as more nutritionally diverse salads.
4. Choose grilling over frying
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying some onion rings in moderation, but grilling is a much healthier alternative that offers a wider variety of flavors and methods. You can use this as an opportunity to find new recipes, expand your palette, and host a barbecue with some friends.
5. Practice seasonal eating
Many people in the states are unfamiliar with the concept of “seasonal eating” because we are fortunate to have access to so many different fruits and vegetables, all year round. We are one of the few countries that do this, though — in many cultures, seasonal eating is the standard.
Seasonal eating is, in short, the practice of eating fresh produce only during the season that it is naturally ready for harvest. For instance, instead of eating tomatoes in the dead of winter; when they’d have to have been flown in from another geographic area due to it not being their season, you’d only eat them during the summer, when they are naturally producing.
Top seasonal foods for summertime
Summer truly is the season of abundance, there aren’t many fruits and vegetables that aren’t thriving during these hot months. This means the good news is, even with “limiting” yourself to eating seasonally, summertime is still going to be rich with a wide variety of produce.
Some of the most nutritious seasonal summer foods are:
- Zucchini, yellow squash, spaghetti squash (full of fiber and vitamins)
- Watermelon and cucumbers (high water content that keeps you hydrated)
- Oranges, grapefruit, lemons (low in calories, high in immune-boosting vitamins)
- Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries (rich in nutrients and antioxidants)
- Apples, pears, nectarines (lowers blood pressure and reduces inflammation)
The easiest way to access seasonal fruits and vegetables is, by far, local farmers’ markets.
Contact us for additional information
We know how overwhelming it can be to start on the path of nutrition and healthy eating habits, especially if you’ve experienced frustration or disappointment with attempting a healthy lifestyle in the past. It’s hard, but not impossible, and you can do it.
At Seeds of Hope, we offer a variety of different nutritional programs to help you take charge of your eating habits so that you can enjoy your happiest, healthiest, most fulfilling life.
To get started today, simply call our office at 610-644-6464.