Try to incorporate these ingredients as much as possible into your meals over the summer months:
1. Oranges Rich in potassium, a nutrient that is crucial in the summer. You lose potassium through sweat. Oranges are also 80% water and so will keep you well hydrated.
Perfect summer snack or dessert.
2. Yogurt Protein-packed yogurt satisfies your hunger, which will keep you from overloading on salty high calorie snacks.
Tip – It can be taken out frozen so that it stays cool until you are ready to eat it. Opt for low fat and low sugar versions.
For breakfast with strawberries and muesli, part of a smoothie or by itself as a snack.
3. Dark, Leafy Greens Fresh raw spinach or kale is great for your skin. Contains vitamin A which protects skin from sun damage, decreasing sensitivity to UV rays and helps mend flaky and dry skin.
Eat as part of a salad, on the side of a jacket potato or add to the ingredients of a turkey wrap.
4. Berries Sweet, juicy berries are filled with flavonoids, powerful disease fighters which also increase blood flow to skin and decrease sensitivity to light, improving skin’s appearance, structure and texture.
Eat by themselves as a snack/dessert or have for breakfast with yoghurt or as part of a smoothie.
5. Bananas A rich source of potassium, which helps to regulate body fluid lost through excessive sweating.
Delicious for breakfast with porridge or with whole-wheat pancakes.
6. Pasta salad Carbohydrate-rich foods can help to combat heat exhaustion. Eat regular small, starchy carbohydrate snacks during the day to keep your body's blood sugar and energy levels stable.
Try making pasta salad for an evening meal and then using leftovers as daytime snacks. Or make for lunch with tuna and peppers.
7. Spice Although this may be the last thing you fancy in hot weather, curries and chillies can stimulate heat receptors in the mouth, enhance circulation and cause sweating, cooling the body down.
Add some extra kick to your chilli or curries or add some chopped raw chilli to salads or soup.
8. Tomatoes Available all year-round but tomatoes are best from July through September. They reduce the risks of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Low in calories tomatoes are a superior source of vitamin C and vitamin A as well as vitamin K, which is important for bone health.
Perfect in pretty much anything; soups, salads, pasta sauces.
9. Peppers Peppers are available throughout the year, but they are at their best during the summer months. Packed with nutrients to boost your immune system they are a great source of vitamin C, thiamine, vitamin B6, beta-carotene, and folic acid.
Add to omelettes, salads or perfect for cutting up and eating raw with dips.
10. Salmon Helps eliminate dry skin, dry hair or splitting nails as well as boosting energy. People who include oily fish as a regular part of their diet are found to be at a lower risk of many diseases including arthritis, heart disease and Alzheimer’s.
Lovely baked with a selection of vegetables or noodles.
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