Tips for Maintaining Healthy Eating Habits During the Summer

— By our Registered Dietitian, Brette Macey

As the weather turns warmer and the days get longer, the smell of BBQ’d hot dogs and cravings for ice cream may steer you off a nutritious track. Luckily, summertime is the perfect opportunity to include nutritious (and delicious) meals and snacks that satisfy your desire for light, hydrating, and fresh foods. Here are my top tips for maintaining healthy eating habits during the busy summer months. 

Tip #1: Take advantage of fresh produce

Summer is the perfect time to explore your local farmer’s markets and stock up on seasonal produce from the grocery store. My advice is to focus on choosing a variety of vegetables and fruits of all different colours. 

Why do colours matter? Antioxidants are what give fruits and vegetables their distinctive colours, and they help fight natural free-radical damage in the body to prevent and reduce cellular damage and fight inflammation. You’ll find Beta carotene in orange/red produce and polyphenols in dark purple/blue produce. 

Different fruits and vegetables also contain different amounts of vitamins and minerals. To make sure you’re covering your bases, switch up your produce every week. How? I recommend picking one vegetable from each colour every week. 

Choose 1 vegetable from each colour:

• Green

  Spinach
  Kale
  Arugula
  Swiss Chard
  Collard Greens
  Beet Greens
  Cucumber
  Peppers
  Broccoli
  Brussel Sprouts

• Purple

  Beets

  Red Cabbage

  Red Onion

  Eggplant

  Cauliflower

  Raddichio

  Sweet Potato

  Turnip

• Orange

  Carrots
  Squash
  Peppers
  Pumpkin

• Yellow

  Peppers
  Squash
  Zucchini
  Tomato
  Beans
  Parsnip

• Red

  Tomato
  Bell Peppers
  Raddish
  Chili Pepper
  Rhubarb

Tip #2: Grill your food

If you have access to a BBQ or grill, this can be an easy way to prepare meals in the summer. If you eat meat, choose omega-3 fatty fish such as salmon, arctic char, herring, mackerel and trout. If you’re a vegetarian, or even if you’re not, grill up some veggie rainbow kebabs or tofu. 

In fact, take the same approach to tofu as you would chicken. You always marinate and season your meat before eating, and tofu absorbs flavours and seasonings just as well. Overall? Stick to lean foods like seafood, chicken, lean beef, or homemade veggie burgers. 

Tip #3: Limit your intake of processed meats

Sausages, bologna, salami, hot dogs and meat alternatives (such as veggie dogs), are high in saturated fat. Too many of these inflammatory foods may raise your ‘bad’ cholesterol levels and have an impact on your cardiovascular health. 

Instead, swap these for lean meats, fish, and homemade veggie dogs and burgers.

Tip #4: Be prepared with packed food from home

I know it’s not the first time you’ve heard that cooking and preparing food at home is the best way to maintain a healthy diet and prevent disease. But it’s because it’s true! Dedicating time each week to prepare meals and snacks ahead of time is an investment in your health and longevity. 

Take a cooler bag with you for long day trips to the beach or park, and pack some of my favourite on-the-go snacks: 

• Homemade trail mix

• Fresh fruit

• Energy balls

• Crackers and hummus

• Whole wheat bread sandwiches

• Homemade popsicles

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Working with Brette Macey, our Dietician can get you eating healthfully today and for the long term, helping you achieve your various health goals. Whether it’s to lower your blood pressure, ease digestive upset, or simply stay healthy and live life longer, personalized nutrition advice and ongoing coaching can provide you with the knowledge, support, and accountability you need to achieve it.