Great Summer Meals to Keep You Chillin'

It’s summertime again! Which means hot sun, cold drinks, and trips to the beach, the pool, and to the lake (camping, anyone?). Summertime is a great opportunity to get back on track with protein-rich meals that will help you beat the heat!

Grill Baby!

Grilling is one of the best ways to cook meats and vegetables in the summer - it won’t heat your house and you can be creative with marinades! We love to marinade chicken in a simple mixture of 1/4 C olive oil, 1/4 C lemon juice, 1 T garlic, and 1/2 C water. Steak gets a bath in 1/4 C soy sauce, 1/4 C Worcestershire sauce, and 1 T garlic. Pork and fish can get a similar treatment as chicken, as can vegetables. You can also use store bought marinades and salad dressings to add bold flavor. Be sure to watch for added sugars and salt, though! A great tip for grilling - for fish and vegetables, invest in a grill basket. It will keep your food from falling through the grates of the grill!

Meat Salads

Meat salads are absolutely fabulous in the summer. Tuna and chicken are super popular, but you can also use salmon (remove the bones if using canned), mixed seafoods, and shrimp! A great cold shrimp salad that is full of flavor, protein, and good fats is shrimp, avocado, and red onion in a summery lemon vinaigrette. You can find the recipe here! You can also play with flavorings, adding herbs, different sauces, and condiments to your meat salad:

Southwest Tuna Salad

1 T Greek Yogurt

1 T salsa

1 can chunk light tuna, packed in water, drained

chopped onion to taste

2 T black beans (optional), rinsed and drained

Combine yogurt and salsa in a bowl. Add onion and stir. Allow to sit for 2-5 minutes to marinate onion. Add beans (if using) and tuna and gently stir. Serve chilled.

Speaking Of Salads ...

Another great salad option is a salad-in-a-jar. These are all the rage on Pinterest and Facebook, and are as customizable as you’d want. Just layer your salad with dressing on the bottom, followed by any chopped veggies such as tomatoes or onions, then whatever meat you’re using, followed by cheese, then your salad greens. The formula we use is (in a 1 pint jar):

1 T dressing

2 T chopped veggies

2-3 oz cooked meat

1/2-1 oz shredded or crumbled cheese

Salad greens packed into the top of the jar.

Don’t have a jar? No worries, just throw your stuff in a bowl and give it a toss! Pre-chopped veggies can be stored in an air-tight container for a few days, so you can still do prep work earlier in the week.

Soup? In SUMMER???

Yes! You can even do soup in summer! Light broth-based soups and cold veggie soups can help you stay hydrated in the heat. A super easy throw-together light soup I love is:

(About 4 bariatric servings of 1/2 C)

1 C shredded chicken

1 box chicken broth or stock

1/4 C frozen corn (optional)

1 chopped zucchini

You LITERALLY throw it all into a pot, bring it to a boil, cook it for 10-15 minutes and you’re done! Soup eating tip - if you have the gastric band or the RnY it may be helpful to drink the broth first then eat the solids.

Sip Sip Sip!

Yes, keeping those fluids up is STILL important. Even more so during the summer! Water is best for hydration, of course, but sometimes you want something a little different. Try making your own fruit-infused water or tea! There are some great infuser bottles and pitchers on the market right now, or you can just muddle (shmoosh a bit) the fruit in the bottom of your glass or pitcher and pour your liquid right over it. This is also a great way to use up that leftover fruit you might have sitting in your fridge!

Summer is all about staying cool, calm and collected - all the while keeping our nutrition and hydration going! You can do it! Share your ideas below in the comments section!