Although the temperature has been a little higher than what most of us would like for some time now, last Saturday officially marked the first day of summer in Australia!
If you’re like me and slightly shift your diet towards more cooling and lighter foods when the temperature soars then this guide to summer eating will set you up for a healthy and delicious summer ahead!
Read below to see what’s on the menu…
Breakfast
I recommend starting your day with a cold pressed juice – this is the perfect way to re-hydrate after an overnight fast and get a good amount of nutrition on board. Although I usually love earthy root veg in my juice, during summer I like to switch to more hydrating fruits and veg such as cucumber, zucchini, watercress, pineapple, strawberries and lemon. A nice addition can also be fresh herbs and spices such as mint, ginger and turmeric.
When to comes to food, if you can’t bear the thought of a steaming bowl of porridge or cooked breakfast, try:
Natural greek yoghurt rich in probiotics with berries, mango and papaya topped with a seed mix of hemp, chia, flax, sunflower and pumpkins seeds. Or my fresh coconut chia bowl, view the recipe here.
If you can’t live without eggs at breakfast, try boiling some eggs and storing in the fridge. Come breakfast time have avocado and cold boiled egg on toast or in a wholegrain wrap. A slice of cold frittata made using summer vegetables, goats cheese and ricotta is another healthy option, which can be made in advance.
Lunchtime
Lunchtime is the perfect time to make use of the amazing produce which summer has to offer. Ideally lunch should contain ½ plate vege/salad, ¼ plate protein, ¼ plate complex carbs and a serve of healthy fats. Some of my go to’s are:
- Parsley and quinoa tabouleh with hummus and leftover chicken/fish
- Raw zucchini noodles tossed with a homemade pesto, chickpeas and leftover diced roasted vegetables
- Homemade potato salad using cooked and cooled kipfler potatoes (great source of resistance starch), parsley and peas with a tahini avocado dressing – with this I will serve 1-2 boiled eggs or some fish/chicken
- Nori rolls – salmon/tuna and quinoa mashed with avocado spread on nori sheets topped with sprouts, grated carrot, capsicum and cucumber, rolled up!
- Leftover BBQ or roasted chicken breast shredded and combined with shaved cabbage, carrot, capsicum, mint, coriander and brown rice or edamame noodles (cool) tossed with a dressing made using coconut milk, honey, red chilli, lime juice, lime zest and fish sauce.
- Wholegrain wrap spread with beetroot hummus, leftover tabouleh and crumbled falafel or tofu
Dinnertime
On balmy nights the last thing most of us feel like is sitting down to a steaming hot comfort style meal. While this sort of meal can be easier to prepare because its often cooked using a single pot, cooked in bulk or made by using a slow cooker, cooler and lighter dishes are still a quick and easy option. Similar to lunch, this meal should contain ½ plate vege/salad, ¼ plate protein, ¼ plate complex carbs and a serve of healthy fats. Some ideas include:
- Parcel baked fish – top fish with fresh orange and dill OR tomato, zucchini and pesto, wrap in baking paper and bake for 20min until fish is cooked. Serve with a quick chopped salad or fresh tomato salsa.
- Cooked and cooled buckwheat pasta (great source of resistant starch) tossed with blanched greens, diced leftover chicken, avocado and pesto
- Open style burger – meat or vegetarian pattie topped with sliced beetroot, sauerkraut, avocado, tomato, cheese, grilled onion etc – what ever takes your fancy!
- Fruity salad such as spinach, diced mango, tomato, avocado with haloumi cheese OR nectarine, chickpea, feta and grilled lamb
- Using mushrooms in replace of meat can feel like a lighter option – try a mushroom stir-fry, tacos or stuffed mushrooms
- My prawn san choy bao, view the recipe here
