What to eat and drink and what to avoid during a summer heatwave
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Grilled food is very popular in the summer, but it will only make you hot and heavy. The most crucial thing to remember is to avoid eating heavy foods in the heat. Your digestive system is taxed by heavy foods, which raises your body temperature. When it's over 90 degrees outside, you certainly don't need food that warms your body, but try instead foods that cool it down.
The general advice is to have more meals during the summer but keep the portions small. In addition, eat fruits and vegetables that contain plenty of water and drink enough fluids to stay hydrated. Thankfully, we have put up a guide with helpful hints on what to eat and drink and what to avoid during a summer heatwave.
Food to avoid during a summer heatwave.
Before we start with the recommendations, it is important to know which foods you should avoid during the summer. Foods like those high in protein, sugar, salt, and fiber that take more work to digest are known to increase body heat. Of course, if you take one or more of the foods listed below in moderation during the summer, it's not terrible. You can also use citrus-rich marinades to break down the protein structure of meat and soaking grains to make the fiber more digestible for you during these hot days. There are two ways to combat this, let’s talk about it. Here are some foods to avoid during the summer:
- barbecue
- junk food
- fried food
- pasta with heavy cream, cheese, spicy red sauces
- soy
- soda drinks
- extremely salty meals
- alcohol
What to drink during a summer heatwave?
What we eat is important, but so is what we drink to stay hydrated during hot summer days. The amount of fluid we generally lose each day from sweating, breathing, urine, and feces is approximately 2 liters. According to the UK Eatwell Guide, we should therefore consume 6 to 8 glasses of water or another hydrating liquid every day.
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In addition to water, we recommend lemonade, cold mint tea, smoothies, slushies, cold-pressed juices, coconut water, aloe vera drinks, and the like. Nariyal paani, also referred to as coconut water, is the healthiest summer beverage. Because it is brimming with natural electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals that rehydrate the body and protect it from sicknesses, coconut water can help you overcome the summer heat.
Drink suggestion: Lemon & Mint Slushie
What to eat during a summer heatwave?
Refreshing summer soups.
While you might think of soup as a food to serve during the colder seasons of the year, cooled soups can offer a refreshing break from the sweltering heat of the summer. Cucumber, avocado, lemon, basil, mint, buttermilk, coconut water, radishes, Greek yogurt, and similar ingredients are frequently used to make cooling soups.
Meal suggestion: Chilled Avocado soup
Salads.
Given the summer heat, salads are a simple way to eat stimulating, light food that provides our bodies with a dose of all the nutrients they need to thrive. Just because a salad is recommended for summer doesn't mean you need to keep it simple, create delicious dressings and make the salad even tastier!
For all those who love dressings, we recommend using the fantastic gadget from BREO BOX - the Prepara Deluxe Oil Mister. The Prepara Deluxe Oil Mister is a multipurpose kitchen appliance that is ideal for flavoring salads, spraying cookie trays, grilling meats, and even creating pancakes. You can easily add more flavor to your food while consuming less fat by customizing any oil blend with your preferred herbs!
Using this practical tool, you can add flavor to grilled meats and salads while maintaining the nutritional value of your meals during summer parties. Find it in our summer subscription box by BREO BOX. It comes with a clog-free filter that always results in a consistent spray!
Key Features:
- Even application of Oil: even, thin application of oil, enhances flavor
- Built-in clog-free filter: a constant, smooth spray
- Environmentally Friendly: using air rather than hazardous CFCs
- High-quality glass body: durability and a sense of elegance
- Extra-Large Capacity: large 4.5 oz. capacity
- Material: high-quality glass and BPA-free plastic
- Simple to clean: for quick and simple cleaning, dishwasher safe
Meal suggestion: Orzo Vegetable Salad
Seafood.
When you see pasta with olive oil, lemon and shrimp, and paella you think of summer, right? Seafood and warm weather go together. Seafood always seems light yet filling, which is ideal for hot, sunny days. The American Heart Association advises consuming at least two meals of seafood every week, which can help you get important nutrients including lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids. If you like eating meat in summer, choose one of the following options: shrimp, salmon, crab, tuna, scallops, clams, prawns, and more.
Meal suggestion: Shrimp zoodles
Spinach.
Similar to spinach, leafy vegetables such as kale, lettuce, and collard greens are excellent choices for the summer. Around 92% of spinach is water, making it a powerhouse of minerals and nutrients, and a perfect diet for the warmer months. Additionally, it aids in controlling your blood pressure, which in turn helps you stay cool.
Meal suggestion: Salmon with spinach sauce
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Cucumbers.
It is well known that cucumbers are a favorite vegetable during the summer months. Cucumbers are a good source of fiber, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, and B6, folic acid, vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc in addition to their high water content. Cucumbers are 95% water, making them a fantastic vegetable for hot summer days since they will keep you cool.
Meal suggestion: Greek salad
Watermelon.
Melon is a very hydrating snack because it has a high percentage of water (95%) and few calories. Watermelon also includes important nutrients like citrulline, which can help you feel calm and expand your blood vessels, which can help you maintain healthy blood pressure and stay calm.
Meal suggestion: Watermelon gazpach
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Citrus fruits.
If you give it a little thought, you'll undoubtedly realize that you tend to eat lemons, limes, or oranges more frequently in the summer. Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes are just a few examples that are a great source of water and vitamin C in the summer. They might help reduce body warmth and boost energy. Forget soda, drink lemonade.
Meal suggestion: Chilled fruit cups
Mint.
Minty lemonade, mint water, mint green smoothies, mango lassi, mojito, mint juice, mint pesto, pea and mint soup, mint pasta salad, and mint chocolate brownies all sound delicious right? It may seem obvious, but mint is a terrific complement to the summer diet because of all the health benefits it offers.
Mint has a very nice cooling effect and helps your digestion and soothes your body. As was previously mentioned, digestion suffers a little during a heat wave, so mint may be a good addition to your meals and beverages to help your stomach out a little. When eaten fresh, mint can help you chill off by stimulating the cold-sensitive nerves in your mouth.
Meal suggestion: Mint/cucumber tomato sandwiches