Summer days are long and often packed with softball league, summer camps, and other activities leaving little time to scrounge up an evening meal. The temptation of ice cream, beer, and other high calorie summer foods can make it challenging to keep your diet on track. Add in the fact that sometimes it’s just too darn hot to turn on your stove and you have a recipe for ordering pizza or getting takeout night after night. Fortunately, summer meals don’t have to be complicated or take more than 30 minutes to make. Many summer meals are naturally healthy thanks to the abundance of fresh produce available.
Pizza – Use store bought pizza crust or make your own if you have time. Add sauce, your favorite summer veggies, (zucchini, corn, tomatoes), and cheese. If it’s too hot to cook on the stove, try grilling your pizza! Serve with a green salad to pump up your veggie intake even more!
Vegetable Pasta – Roast or grill whichever veggies you have on hand (peppers, zucchini, corn, carrots, and broccoli) with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper. Toss with cooked whole wheat pasta, a little more olive oil and some parmesan cheese. Top with grilled chicken and chopped basil to up the protein and flavor!
Guilt Free Burger –Mix it up by substituting ground turkey, a veggie burger patty or even a grilled portabella mushroom in place of your typical beef burger. If you prefer beef, choose 95% fat free. Choose a whole wheat bun and try avocado in place of cheese to make your burger even more sinless. Load up on veggies by serving your burger with a simple salad, baked sweet potato wedges or grilled veggies instead of the typical fries or baked beans.
Summer Berry Salad – Add chicken or fish to a bed of greens. Then sprinkle on some chopped walnuts, berries of any type, and goat cheese or feta. Top with your favorite dressing. Balsamic Vinaigrette is a great choice!
Grilled Fish Packets – Slice up some zucchini, summer squash, and shallots and place on a large piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil (1 teaspoon) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top veggies with a 4-5 oz. salmon fillet and add another teaspoon of olive oil and more salt and pepper. Add a squeeze of lemon, a sprig or 2 of thyme and seal foil closed. Place on a baking sheet and cook in a 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or place foil packet directly on a medium high grill. Cooking times may vary based on thickness of salmon.
Breakfast for Dinner – It might sound odd but scrambled eggs are one the quickest healthy dinners in my rotation. Take advantage of summer’s great produce and top your eggs with fresh chopped tomatoes and basil. Or sauté mushrooms and spinach into your scramble. Serve with a fruit salad showcasing summer’s best fruit such as peaches, berries, and melons. Add some whole grain toast and you’ve got yourself a well-rounded meal in minutes!