Summer Foods...Make Me Feel F-i-i-i-ne...

Vanessa here this week! This topic comes from the giant brain of my husband Greg. I think he's been talking with his co-workers how this heat just kind of saps the life out of him and makes him want to eat all the summer foods. Or maybe he was inspired by all the homemade sorbet I've been making (and we've been eating!).There's no doubt: we tend to eat differently when it's 90 degrees and 6873430% humidity.

Lately we've been gravitating toward watermelon and berries, cucumbers, grain-based (like farro and bulgur) and other salads, mixed veggie tacos with spicy slaw, lots of citrus, protein and veggie stir-fries, pesto anything, and, um, sorbet (it's a great use for any just-past-its-prime fruit we didn't get to). I haven't broken out the little Weber grill yet, but I'm pretty sure that's happening soon - I love to grill up a bunch of eggplant, onion, potatoes, peppers, and zucchini. I always grill more than I need so I can use them through the week.

A lot of health claims out there are not verified or even supported by research and still they persist. But one tidbit that never changes is to eat your fruits and vegetables - especially during these summer months when the variety is just out of this world! Full of satiety-inducing fiber, antioxidants, and water, there's really no better food out there to pile on your plate when it's almost too hot to do anything else.

Whether these fruits and vegetables are coming from the grocery, the farmers market (with social distancing rules in place!), or maybe even your garden, it's a good time to make some cool, nutrient-packed, and refreshing choices. What will you choose?

Here's a great resource from Eating Well to get you started with recipe ideas. And just in case you have a picky eater in the house who might turn up their nose at vegetables? I think CharIie and Lola can help.

Photo credit: The Seasonal Eating Research Hub @ The Food Connection