How to keep a balanced, nutritious diet in the hot months

Compared to winter, summer poses different threats to our diets and wellbeing. Fight dehydration, the heat, unbalanced meals and feel great all summer long with these basic tips!

balanced-nutritious-diet-hot-months-header

We love summer, but we still want to maintain a healthy, nutritious diet, even when we’re tempted to skip whole meals because of the heat and make up a few hours later with an ice-cream. However, there are some incredibly simple ways to stay on track throughout summer’s hot months, so that you can look and feel your best:

Enjoy summer fruits
Summertime brings with it a range of gorgeous, fresh and colourful fruits including berries, passion fruit and various types of melon, such as cantaloupe and watermelon. These fruits are packed full of nutrients – as well as fibre – to help maintain a healthy digestive system. They also offer a dose of sugar – helping to curb that sweet tooth and recharging your energy – which could also stop you from tucking into sugary, calorie-dense foods. Plus, many of these juicy fruits such as watermelon, offer a hydration hit as they contain high levels of water. Yes, you really can eat your fluid!

Make the most of the BBQ
Barbecuing food requires little use of fatty oils, and instead offers a healthy way to cook a range of foods, including meat and fish, both of which contain high levels of protein. This is an essential macronutrient which helps to keep us fuller for longer, as well as supporting the health of muscles, plus it contributes to several bodily functions. Barbecuing is also a great way to cook vegetables such as courgette, aubergine and tomatoes, giving them a warm, crispy taste.

Go light
Often, during the winter months, the cold weather and short days can leave us craving hearty, stodgy and often, high calorie foods. But, when the weather warms up, why not use this opportunity to enjoy lighter, less dense foods like colourful salads, delicious grains and seasonal vegetables? You may find you enjoy a slightly lower carb diet during the summer months as your body may not require the extra ‘comfort’ carbs.

Make hydration fun
When the temperatures rise, our bodies tend to need more water to replace fluids lost through sweat. Plus, our bodies are made up of around 60% water, so we need to stay topped up! But, for many, water can be a little dull. Try infusing plain water with sliced cucumber, lemon and lime, and keep a water bottle with you when you go out, so you’re never far from water. You could even opt for chilled versions of herbal teas by letting your tea cool down before drinking, and adding ice cubes. There are plenty of fun and tasty ways to stay hydrated. It’s also important to balance alcohol with water; when you’re drinking and enjoying the long summer evenings, keep a glass of water close by. It will help with the sore head the next day!