High summer means lots of fruit, water and a healthy way to eat
BLAZING heat, humidity, long lazy mid-day siestas, the pace of everyday life slowing down, trips to the beach every weekend … It can only mean one thing: summer is here!
With the onset of summer comes the promise that many people make to themselves each year – to take better care of themselves and to eat a more balanced diet. Summertime is the best time to do this as there is no longer the need for the comforting warmth of foods that fill our long cold wintry evenings (along with bloating our stomachs). Instead it is time for barbequing and grilling, salads and sandwiches.
The blazing heat often means that it is extremely hard to spend time in the kitchen cooking hot meals. As the heat increases, so does our body temperature. Minimising time in the kitchen is essential as long as the hot temperatures last. Foods that are spicy, such as curries, also increase body temperature so these foods should be avoided in the hot summer months.
An excellent way to achieve this would be to fire up the grill for a barbeque. This not only minimises time spent in the kitchen over a hot stove, but also provides a healthy alternative to cooking various foods.
Healthy ways to barbeque include: grilled chicken or fish fillets, grilled chicken burgers with low-fat cheese, grilled corn on the cob with lemon juice instead of butter and salt, grilled jacket potatoes instead of fries, and grilled vegetables. Accompany your meals with ketchup and mustard instead of mayonnaise. In order to be comfortable, people should avoid eating too much fat, because fat is difficult to digest.
Plan meals in advance for the week, and try doing batch cooking. An idea would be to make large portions of pasta, and then use it later on for making a variety of different pasta salads with vegetables. An example could be pasta salad made with canned tuna and vegetables. Remember to be careful about the amount of olive oil added to salad dressings. Usually two teaspoons per person is more than enough. See recipe for “light vinaigrette”.
When you barbeque, cook extra meat and chicken. These can be used later on in sandwiches or salads.
Summertime brings a variety of healthy dishes full of fresh fruits, vegetables and salads. Not only are these tasty but they are low in calories and fat and full of essential nutrients and fibre that our bodies need. Consuming a variety of fruits and vegetables is strongly linked to controlling blood pressure, preventing diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and may even help maintain eye health.
Don’t be tempted by heavy desserts that you will most probably regret eating later on. There are plenty of other alternatives. Try a homemade fruit salad made from peaches, nectarines, melon, apricots, plums, cherries, strawberries, kiwis, banana’s, watermelon… the list goes on. Even canned fruit, such as peaches and pineapples, canned in their own juice, can add a twist to your fruit salad. Add a cup of fat-free yogurt or fat-free ice-cream, and a handful of muesli to your fruit salad to make a healthy lunchtime meal or snack.
Make sure you read the labels carefully when choosing ‘diet’ ice-cream. Some might say 0% sugar, but may be laden with fat. Try and choose a ‘diet’ ice-cream with less that 3g of fat in it.
Another essential way to keep cool is to stay hydrated by increasing your fluid intake. This means drinking plenty of water – around two litres per day. If you are going to be outside in direct sunlight you can prevent the symptoms of dehydration (which are dry mouth, feeling tired, headache, dizziness) from occurring by sipping water frequently throughout the whole day.
Below are some fun, healthy recipes to help you make this summer a healthier, cooler one!
Light Vinaigrette
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp red wine vinegar or lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp Dijon mustard
Pinch each salt and pepper
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients. Makes about 1/3 of a cup.
Basic Barbeque
? cup lemon juice
? cup olive oil
½ tsp dried thyme or oregano (or 2tsp chopped, fresh)
½ tsp pepper
4 chicken breasts or any other piece desired OR 4 pork chops
l Combine lemon juice, oil, thyme and pepper
l Place chicken in shallow dish; pour lemon mixture over, turning chicken to coat all over. Refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours, turning chicken occasionally
l Cook chicken on greased grill or barbeque, turning frequently to prevent burning, for about 20 minutes on each side, or until chicken is no longer pink inside
Variations
Add 2 tsp garlic, 2 tbsp soy sauce and 2 tsp liquid honey to the above recipe
Substitute thyme for 1 tsp chopped garlic, 1 tsp coriander, and 1 tsp cumin
Substitute ? cup olive oil and thyme for ? cup white wine, 2 tsp olive oil, and 1 tsp rosemary
Tomato, Broccoli and Pasta Salad
125g rigatoni
3 cups broccoli florets
1 cup chopped spring (green) onions
3 tomatoes, cut in wedges
125g light mozzarella cheese, cubed/or other light cheese
½ cup fresh parsley
Light vinaigrette (see above)
l Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside to cool.
l In a salad bowl, combine pasta, green onions, tomatoes, cheese and parsley.
l Pour light vinaigrette over salad and toss to mix.
l Cover and refrigerate for 30mins. Just before serving add the broccoli.
Chicken and Bean Salad
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked cubed chicken
1 cup sweet corn
? cup red bell pepper, thinly chopped
2 green onions, chopped
? cup red wine vinegar
½ tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
? tsp black pepper and ? tsp salt
l In a medium bowl, combine beans, corn, chicken, peppers, onions, vinegar, oil, garlic, salt and pepper.
Toss until combined.
l Alexia Stephanou is a Clinical Dietician. Tel: 22 441300, 99 884155
