By Para Mehta, RD/ www.healthfulfilling.com
With the heat picking up fast this summer, cooking, ovens, stoves, seem to be out of the question! Fortunately, there are several options to eat chilled and delicious foods that pack a power of nutrients, too. Before the “S” word comes out, yes salads–as redundant and old as it sounds, don’t underestimate the dynamic nutrient value and flavorful flare that a salad can offer.
The best part about a salad is the rainbow of produce you can orchestrate together–tomatoes, red lettuce, fresh spinach, yellow bell peppers, mushrooms, purple onions, beets, snap peas, bean sprouts just to name of few. Other summer foods to try to help beat the heat are things like chilled hummus on pita, cold bruschetta, chilled pasta with pesto, or a cold marinated bean medley. Try to chill cold dishes a few hours before dinner or the day before to get a refreshing and cooling taste of delicious!
Summer is a great time to pack in more produce, which means a lot of valuable and healthy antioxidants (natural chemicals in foods that can be disease fighting.) In case you missed the blog last summer about summer superfoods, you can check it out at:
For more healthy eating tips from a registered dietitian, go to: