The summer season is a particularly popular period for food. Our appetite tends to drop but the sun allows us to enjoy fresh and healthy food. With the rising temperatures, it is pleasant to have barbecues, enjoy ice cream and drink cold and sweet drinks. What should be avoided and what should be prioritized? Here are our tips for healthy eating in the summer.
The benefits of hydration
Fruits and vegetables for healthy eating
The tomato
The tomato, undisputed star of the summer, is excellent for health. It is an antioxidant that reduces the risk of prostate cancer but also cardiovascular risks. Rich in potassium, it reduces hypertension. Being made up of 95% of water, the tomato is low in calories and helps to hydrate our body. Finally, rich in vitamin C, the tomato helps to assimilate iron and calcium.
The pepper
raspberry
The melon
Particularly appreciated, the melon is one of the favorites of the summer! So much the better, because this vegetable is very good for your health. Indeed, melon is rich in flavonoids. These are antioxidants that protect us against breast cancer and colon cancer, among others. In addition to this, antioxidants protect our body from free radicals emanating from pollution, chemicals or even cigarettes.
The little pleasures of summer
Eating healthy seems simple in summer, but the season is also synonymous with barbecues, tasting ice cream by the sea and aperitifs with friends. It is important to take advantage of these pleasures but be careful not to abuse them. Here are our tips for enjoying them without feeling guilty.
BBQs
Cooking on the barbecue gives a good smoky taste to the food. However, cooking with charcoal is harmful to health. Indeed, the smoke released by the fat of the meat which falls on the embers are more or less rich in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and in particular in benzopyrene. These elements would be carcinogenic.
In order to reduce the danger of this method of cooking, the grill must be installed at least 10 cm from the embers, and the food cooked on them. You should also avoid heating above 220°C, and be sure to clean the grill after each use. The homemade meat marinade also naturally protects the food from toxic fumes.
Of course, it is also advisable not to abuse meat. Consider alternating with fish and adding antioxidant-rich vegetables to your barbecues.
Ice cream and sorbets
It is very pleasant to eat ice cream in the summer. This is good because ice cream is one of the lowest calorie desserts. A scoop of ice cream contains about 60 kcal, which is much less than cakes or sweet pies. However, be careful not to overuse it. On the health side, ice is a source of calcium, which helps strengthen the strength of bones and teeth.
Between ice cream and sorbets, it is recommended to favor sorbets. Less caloric, the sorbet also offers a feeling of hydration since it is essentially composed of water and fruit. Just like ice cream, sorbet is also made with sugar. It should therefore not be abused.
summer drinks
With the heat, we tend to want to drink all kinds of beverages. Beware, however, of the abuse of sodas or industrial fruit juices, which are very loaded with sugars and therefore very caloric. Also beware of alcoholic drinks, such as beer or rosé, which are very popular in summer. Alcohol dehydrates you must therefore remember to drink water between two glasses of alcohol.
Water is of course THE drink to consume without moderation. To vary the pleasures healthily, you can flavor your water with mint, parsley or even lemon. Homemade iced tea, without abusing the sugar of course, is also very refreshing.
In general, summer allows us to easily vary our diet. The variety is very important in order to have all the necessary nutrients for our body and to act preventively against the onset of diseases. Let's take advantage of seasonal fruits and vegetables!
