Summer is a time of reboot. While the weather is hot and humid most of the time, it still provides people with a chance to stay at home and spend time with family and friends. Hot summer days and humid summer nights call for various get-togethers and midday for lunches which can be indulging and worthwhile. When we specifically mention food and healthy summer recipes, we immediately think about something hindering the fun and boring. However, that’s definitely not the case. You can enjoy summer outdoor and indoor parties while staying under your limited calorie deficit by trying new and healthy summer dishes this time. In this blog, we will look at delicious and healthy summer recipes without compromising taste and the real essence of summer parties.
An Outstanding Opportunity For Weight Watchers:
Even though people struggle and try to cut excess calories to watch their excess weight throughout the year. While summer is the season of relaxation, people often get overwhelmed with the thought of keeping the weight without gaining pounds. Well, we have a solution for this. The healthy summer recipes that we are going to share with you are some of the easiest yet lip-smacking recipes that will make you a star among friends and family without spending much money and retaining the health and fitness boundaries. The following recipes will make it easy for you to enjoy hot summers while you grab the best chance to not gain weight while consuming the best you will ever make.
Most Loved, Tasty yet Healthy Summer Dishes:
Imagine you are hosting a summer party and this time you are going to look after your health as well as that of your loved ones. Now you don’t have to lose your mind over thinking of many options that are out of budget and require a lot of time for preparations and cooking. We have planned a full menu of healthy summer recipes for you that includes a drink, main course, salad, and the healthiest drink that will make your party memorable for the rest of your life. Have a look:
1. Refreshing Lemonade:
Is there anyone who does not adore a glass of chilled and refreshing lemonade on a humid summer day? Probably no one. To start with our list of healthy summer recipes we need:
-Lemon Juice (4-5 lemons)
-Water (one litre)
-A lot of Ice
-For additional flavors (half cup of strawberry, peach, mango puree )
-Honey for sweetness
Incorporate water, ice, and lemon juice in a container. You can add honey as per your taste buds and add relevant flavors for the extra zing! You can also add mint leaves, and a bunch of cucumber slices for extra energy and refreshment.
2. Grilled Chicken Kabobs:
The majority of people love snacking on healthy summer dishes that are easy to eat at a party. This healthy summer recipe is one of the easiest recipes to make which is loved by everyone. If you want, you can also replace the same recipe and add bone-in chicken pieces to make Grilled Chicken as well. The recipe goes like this:
-1.5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into small bite-sized pieces
-Olive oil (2 tablespoons)
-Bunch of spices as per taste:
(Salt, Paprika, Black Pepper, Garlic powder, Onion Powder)
-A tablespoon of chopped garlic and ginger
-Add honey for some sweetness
-Lemon juice 1 tablespoon
Marinate the chicken with all the species and oil for 1 hour to overnight. For making kabobs, you can add any vegetable of hand such as onion, bell pepper, zucchini, etc cut up into bite-sized pieces. Create kabobs by adding alternate meat and vegetables in a skewer. Light up the grill and grill the kabobs until cooked to perfection from all sides.
3. Garlic Beef Bites:
Garlic beef bites are one of the crowd-favorite healthy summer dishes that require minimum ingredients while holding in a lot of flavors and yummy goodness. To prepare this healthy summer recipe, we have to take the following ingredients:
-Garlic ( 6-8 cloves chopped)
-Beef steak, cut, bite-sized ( 2 pounds)
-Soya Sauce 1 tablespoon
-Lemon Juice half table spoon
-Seasonings and Spices
(Salt, Black Pepper, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Smoked Paprika)
-A dash of chopped parsley
-Olive oil ( 2 tablespoons)
To prepare one of the most healthy summer dishes similar to the chicken kabobs, marinate the beef steak pieces the night before. Add cut up, marinate pieces on the hot grilled and cook for 3-4 minutes per side or cooked until you get the desired temperature of the steak. For more flavors, you can grill some onion and bell peppers along with the beef for extra crunch.
4. Summer Caesar Salad:
Any healthy summer recipe plan is incomplete without a refreshing salad. For that, we have added the great summer caesar salad which is a source of fiber and nutrients as well as provides some cool and crunch to all the hot recipes. The salad needs:
-A large romaine lettuce cut into cubes or wedges
-Vegetables of your choice:
(tomatoes, onions, cucumber, boiled corn kernels)
-2 chopped hard-boiled eggs
-A little dust of Parmesan Cheese
-Handful of croutons for crunch
For Healthy Caeser Salad Dressing:
-1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
-1 tsp garlic, chopped
-Salt
-Pepper
-½ cup of Greek yogurt (instead of mayonnaise)
Incorporate everything together and add healthy summer caser salad dressing at the time of serving to keep the veggies crunchy for a longer time.
5. Healthy And Yummy Popsicles
To end with the savory and healthy summer recipes, we are not forgetting to add a sweet treat to complete the party menu. To enjoy most of the healthy summer dishes, we have come up with a popsicle idea that you can eat without any guilt. To make healthy summer popsicles you need the:
-One cup of Greek Yogurt
-One cup puree of the fruit of your choice:
(blueberry, raspberry, banana, strawberry, or mixed berries)
-A tablespoon of Honey
Mix the cup of yogurt with berry puree and add honey. Fill the popsicle container in a bowl with the mixture and keep it in the freezer until it is frozen. Take it out and enjoy!
Let’s Answer Some of the Most Frequently Asked Questions:
Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding healthy summer recipes:
Can we do the food preparation the night before?
Indeed. The best way to get most of all the flavors is from the protein for example beef, and chicken, etc, it is great to marinate it overnight. You can also do some of the chopping the night before to stay ahead of time.
What if we don’t have similar ingredients on hand?
When it comes to cooking and prepping healthy summer dishes, you can change and interpret the recipes with whatever is in your hands. All of the above-mentioned healthy summer dishes are just for the idea of maintaining weight while enjoying summer parties and food.
What type of sauce would be perfect with the grilled meat?
There are several sauces available in the market that contain fewer calories than the traditional ones. You can either buy those or if you are tight on budget, you can make some sauces and substitute some ingredients with healthier versions of it like substitute yogurt and honey as a replacement for mayonnaise and sugar to cut down extra calories.
What are the carbs options alongside these recipes for maintained macros?
Yes. Carbs are one of the most significant macros that is a basic requirement of human body to generate energy throughout the day. You can bake some bread or you can boil or grill some potatoes with grilled chicken just make sure you eat it with a lot of fiber, fruits, and salad to balance it out.
