Healthy Summer Eating: 5 Practical Tips

Welcome to June! This month, here in the Northeast, the school year (finally) ends. Summer solstice begins. Oh! And … it’s my birthday month!

I used to think of summer as a time to slow down. But, in reality, life with my family of five is just as hectic in the summer as it is during the school year. Work doesn’t predictably slow down for my husband or for me (I do love the idea of summer hours!). And our boys have jam-packed schedules year-round.

If it’s not relaxation, what makes summer stand out? To me (a forever East Coaster), it’s the weather! The days are so long - in a good way! Thank you, Daylight Savings Time! Three precious months of sunny, warm (even hot!) weather inspire some serious outside time. You’ll absorb more Vitamin D from the sun and inhale more fresh air. You’re more active: swimming, going to the playground, and taking long walks through the neighborhood.

But your hectic, outdoorsy lifestyle may cause you to eat on-the-go more than usual. Poolside and beachfront snacks and meals are usually not incredibly nutritious. Neither are the prepackaged ones. And, as I mentioned in a previous post, it’s also barbecue season. Burgers, hot dogs, potato chips! Oh my! Therefore, a sunny, summer schedule presents its own challenges to your healthy habits.

To enjoy summer while honoring your body, it’s helpful to keep a personal goal in mind. Next, tune up your mindset with some summer-specific tips to help you keep that promise to yourself. You can find that blog post here. Now, you need some practical tips to help you take action. Here are five:

Shop seasonally.

Have you heard the phrase eat the rainbow? It just means that nutritious eating is colorful. Now, that doesn’t mean eating orange chips and chasing it with purple soda. It means eating a spectrum of unprocessed foods. And eating the rainbow is simplest during the summer.

In the summer, there are so many beautiful, wholesome foods that are in season. So, when you shop seasonally, the produce is fresher. Locally grown foods are more readily available (Again, especially in the Northeast. In California, you can get local strawberries even in February!) That means your food doesn’t have to schlep across country in a bin in the back of a truck during the summer. And you get to eat more nutrient-dense food.

You can shop for in-season food at big box stores during the summer; or you can take the opportunity to support your local farmers. One low commitment way to shop locally is at a farmers’ market.

I used to think of either New York’s or San Francisco’s Union Square when I thought of farmers’ markets. But the truth is - there are thousands of them. There’s probably one close to you or on your way to anywhere. You can pop in and pick up what you need … or whatever looks tasty. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published a directory of farmers’ markets here. Check it out!

Another way to shop seasonally is to join a Community Supported Agriculture program or CSA. These are membership programs hosted by local farms. When you join, you get a fresh harvest straight from the farm every week. So, the harvest changes significantly from week to week. And you’re sure to get something you’re not very familiar with … which is fun and exciting! Swiss chard, anyone?

You can find the CSA we join here. You can search a directory of over 800 CSA’s here.

Just to tempt your palate a bit - here are two early summer harvest foods:

Strawberries

I will always remember the first time I took my Brooklyn boy husband to pick fresh strawberries. The look on his face was priceless. They taste so much better, he said. Yup! They do. We ate our weight in strawberries that day.

Eat them whole, toss them into a salad or blend them into a smoothie. So. Good.

Tomatoes

During the winter, I usually opt for grape tomatoes because, otherwise, winter tomatoes taste … grainy. Am I the only one?

But freshly-picked tomatoes? Wow. They literally taste like a different fruit. Yes! A tomato is a fruit!

Slice big, juicy tomatoes and load them up with sweet basil (also in season!). Sprinkle some sea salt and drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on top. Alternate the tomato slices with slices of mozzarella, and just like that - Caprese salad!

And here are a bunch more:

• Beets
• Blueberries
• Carrots
• Celery
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Green Peppers
• Peaches
• Raspberries
• String Beans
• Swiss Chard
• Turnips

Don’t cook.

So, now that you’re all jazzed to eat this delicious, fresh food. Don’t cook it. No, I’m not suggesting you just go out to eat. I’m suggesting you eat at home. And leave the stove turned off.

Don’t worry - I’m not suggesting you eat all raw food all the time. But remember - not cooking is an option. Try a picnic-style dinner. Pick a rainbow of the delicious produce that’s available and offer your crew some cold cuts, tuna or hummus to go along with it. Add some crackers so that the kids won’t balk. ;)

And don’t forget about the rotisserie chicken available at just about every grocery store. Sticking with not cooking - chop it up and make a Caesar salad. You can even make it a wrap.

Keep it simple.

So, you may want to cook some days … And when you do, take a little time to prepare. Yes, I’m talking about meal prepping. But keep it simple!

Instagram-worthy meals are inspiring and all but that doesn’t have to be your everyday expectation. You can make tasty, delicious meals in 30 minutes or less of hands-on time. Introducing the Crock Pot and the InstaPot. Life. Changing. Seriously!

Again, you don’t have to be too precious about this. Allow me to show you my culinary skills:

Chicken breast plus a bottle of all-natural barbecue sauce plus Crock Pot equals pulled barbecue chicken. Add cole slaw and make it a plate or a sandwich. Sorry, I’m not a food blogger!

Ok … one more. Chicken breast plus a jar of salsa plus the Crock Pot equals shredded salsa chicken. Who doesn’t love tacos? Or taco salad? Or fajitas? Burritos? You get the picture.

You could easily make a week’s worth of meals in one prep day. Let it be easy!

And I can’t forget about the InstaPot. In my opinion, the InstaPot is masterful at keeping cooking simple. And during the summer, it’s a great alternative to heating up the oven. How long does it take to roast spaghetti squash in the oven? Or sweet potatoes? Too long, right?! Meanwhile, you’re seriously heating up the kitchen. You can cook these in a fraction of the time with an InstaPot and it doesn’t radiate a bunch of heat. The same goes for rice and quinoa!

Use the grill.

Speaking of not heating up the kitchen, why not take it outside? The cooking, that is!

Just about anything you’d cook in your kitchen can be cooked outside on the grill. Chicken, fish, beef, veggies … even fruit! By using handmade foil tents and roasting pans - you can cook your entire dinner out of doors. You can keep the house cool and the kids can come outside too and enjoy the sunshine.

Cook with the kids.

While your kids may have plenty of activities to keep them busy, they are likely spending more time at home (unless, of course, they go to sleep-away camp). So, consider intentionally slowing down and cooking with your kids.

My children are 9, 7 and 2 years old; so, this cook-with-the-kids plan is not for every day. Their involvement slows the process all the way down. But they love it! From gathering ingredients from the fridge and cabinets to measuring to mixing to setting the table … it can be a whole event! They feel proud of their contribution, and for the rest of the night, they talk about the dinner we made.

And if you have big kids, consider teaching them how to cook one or two dishes. Maybe hump day can become my-preteen-cooks-dinner day? Give them some skin in the game! My 7 year-old can’t wait to cook, but, at this point, I can barely watch him hold a butter knife!

And I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the educational value of involving the kids in the kitchen. The little ones get to work on fine and gross motor skills by pinching and stirring. Elementary school-age kids can learn how to follow a recipe and practice some arithmetic. Mom, how do I measure ¾ cup? You don’t have one in the drawer! Big kids can help plan the menu and the meal prep. We love adding fun, casual activities that stimulate their minds - especially in the summer.

In conclusion, this summer:

1. Shop seasonally.
2. Don’t cook [every day].
3. Keep it simple.
4. Use the grill
5. Involve the kids.

Eating well is a cornerstone of your health. So, if you want to level up your eating habits, start by making a promise to yourself. I can help you here!