Top 6 Foods For Summer

It’s the summer, treat yourself with these foods and lighten up your diet.

Forget that wacky fad diet you heard elsewhere. In fact, if you dream to look better in shorts or swimsuit this summer, the secret lies with your choice of foods and the number of calories you consumed. High-calorie dishes seems less appealing in summertime and opt for light, refreshing foods that will put that fat at bay and welcome weight loss minus the hot kitchen.

Load up yourself with delicious fruits and vegetables. Resource is aplenty during summer. Add that to low calories, preloaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber and you’ll be enjoying yourself. These fresh produce is also delicious and also satisfying.

Load up fresh berries, melons, greens, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, beets, pea pods and all the super-nutritious low-calorie fruits, greens and vegetables. Keep oranges and apples for fall season. And when it comes to fresh fruit and vegetables, forget about the portion size. With these super-nutritious foods, it is very hard to do much damage to the waistline.

Start with prepared produce such as cut-up fruits and washed greens. If you need something a bit heartier, add rotisserie chicken, prepared soups and pre-threaded kabobs. The pre-prepped food may cost a little extra, but you can save time in the kitchen.

Summer Food #1 - Salads

No recipes required. Salad is a quick and healthy as well. A quick rinse is all the produce needs. Slice, dice, toss fruits, vegetables, low-fat cheese, handful of toasted nuts, some salad greens, and light raspberry or ginger vinaigrette. Put that along with a whole-grain roll and your meal is done. You can also try bean or whole-grain salads like wheat berry and tabboulehs.

To go light on the dressing, use herbs from the garden for flavoring. And if you like adding meats or fish to the salad, think of it as an accessory to your dish.

Summer Food #2 - Chilled Soups

Cold soups are also low in calorie. A great way to start a meal is by having chilled soups like gazpacho or cucumber-dill that contain lots of chunky vegetables.

A low-calorie, broth based soup at the beginning of the meal will usually fills you up and make you eat less meal.

Summer Food #3 - Watermelon

When it’s hot outside, it is nice to dive into a crisp, juicy slice of watermelon. Watermelon is a great way to satisfy thirst and a yen for something sweet.

Summer Food #4 - Fruit Based Desserts

Throw away any high-calorie desserts and choose naturally sweet treats that is good for your weight loss efforts. Remember, food cravings don’t go on vacation. These sweet treats can tame anyone.

• Grilled pineapple with rum and pecans
• Grilled white peaches with blackberries and honey
• Grilled banana sundaes made with low-fat ice cream
• A chocolate-covered frozen banana
• Frozen grapes
• Frozen, dark, sweet cherries

Summer Food #5 - Grilled Vegetables

A summertime must have is a plate of grilled vegetables. Your fridge should stock up on grilled onions, bell peppers, zucchini, carrots, eggplant, asparagus and garlic. These can be used to make dishes like:

• Grilled vegetable, ricotta, fresh herb pasta and frittatas
• Grilled vegetable and goat cheese salads
• Grilled vegetable pitas

Summer Food #6 - Low Calorie Beverages

To stay cool when it is hot outside, drink a lot. Go for smoothies, sweetened specialty coffee drinks, sweetened teas and sodas but these can add up to the calories intake. Liquids quench thirst, but you may try some of these thirst quenchers without giving much impact to your diet.

• White Wine Spritzer. 5 ounces white wine mixed with 3 ounces lemon/lime seltzer water (120 calories)
• Tart Lemon Pom Spritzer. 12 ounces of lemon sparkling water mixed with the juice of 1 lemon and 1/4 cup pomegranate juice, served over ice (35 calories)
• Root Beer or Orange Dream Float. 1/2 cup vanilla frozen yogurt in 12 ounces of diet root beer or orange soda (100 calories)

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