On-the-Go Nutrition for the Summer

Stay Hydrated and Don’t Drink Excess Calories

Keeping hydrated is important year round, but especially in the warm weather, as it prevents our bodies from overheating. To remain cool during the dog days of summer, here are my top tips:

Try cold brewing iced tea without added calories from sugar or sweeteners. Check out colleague and tea sommelier Raelene Gagnon’s expert techniques.
Treat speciality coffees as a “treat”! For example, Tim Horton’s Iced Cappuccino for a mere 286 mL serving size has 38 grams of sugar and almost 300 calories.
I love my water infuser that I picked up for under $20! Fill it with seasonal fruits and water every evening and voila the next morning delicious naturally flavoured water.

Stock Your Kitchen with Seasonal Foods

Nothing says summertime like chomping into a slice of thirst-quenching watermelon! I love snacking on a slice mid-afternoon with a small amount of Greek yogurt. You can add watermelon to salads, make chilled soups with it, and combine it with sliced cucumber and mint for a refreshing side dish. Check out the recipe for Quinoa Salad with Summer Peas and Watermelon in my book The Need for Seeds.

Blueberries are another of my favourites, as there are very few naturally blue foods. They work perfectly in many summer dishes, including fresh desserts. Every summer, I like to chill with homemade blueberry crumble. It’s one of my go-to recipes that I take to backyard BBQs. Blueberries have a long list of health benefits. Like most berries, they are packed with water, vitamins and antioxidants, which can help the body remain hydrated.

Practice On-the-Go Food Safety

During the summer, as a traveling foodie take the extra precautions to keep your food chilled, your fruits and veggies washed and your shopping bags clean. These simple tips will keep your food safe and have you enjoying all the on-the-go summer bbqs, picnics and road trips!

Purchase sealable containers, ice packs and coolers to transport your favourite foods to the summertime events.
When it comes to shopping bags in the summer, choose insulated bags that will protect the food from the sunlight and keep it at a cool temperature. Remember these bags need to be washed on a regular basis to avoid build up of food debris, bad bacteria and cross contamination.
Keep chilled foods out of the summer heat and sun. If you’re at a picnic or on the pool deck arrange the food on plates, platters or in bowls then place them on crushed iced to keep them chilled.

For more on-the-go nutrition for the summer, check out my July Huffington Post column where two experts weigh in on How to Stay Healthy over the Summer! And always remember my mind-body healthy lifestyle equation: Energy = Food + Fitness + Sleep, especially in the summertime when the days are longer and schedules may resemble a world wind!