Healthy Summer Meals

There's just something about summer that completely changes my cooking habits. Of course, the change from fall and winter, to spring and summer always means different fruits and veggies are in season, but there are other factors involved too, like the weather or how hot you're willing to get in your kitchen. 

Unless you've got a really amazing central cooling system in your home, you're probably not going to be too psyched about cooking something like turkey and mashed potatoes! A great solution to hot kitchens in the summer, is to simply move things outside and use a grill or BBQ. If you think the grill is something reserved only for backyard parties with hamburgers and hot dogs, you are quite mistaken. In fact, you can grill everything from chicken and steak, to corn on the cob and zucchini!

Even without a grill, there are plenty of great summer food options out there to suit a variety of tastes. Eating in the summer doesn't have to mean sticking with salads and sandwiches! There are plenty of ways to spice things up in the kitchen without breaking the bank or using too many rare and exotic ingredients. Of course, all of the recipes listed below are customizable, so feel free to add, subtract, or substitute ingredients to create a dish you truly love!


1. Moroccan Quinoa Salad

This salad is amazing! It's the perfect blend of flavors and textures and will absolutely fill you up! You can get the recipe here!

2. Grilled Asian Chicken Wraps 

These wraps are both tasty and refreshing! I love cooking with sesame flavors, and these wraps are packed with plenty of flavor. You can get the recipe here!

3. Grilled Shrimp and Couscous 

This recipe is so delicious! I personally love shrimp, whether they are grilled or served cold! The mint, feta, and garlic add a whole lot of really great flavor, while the couscous and zucchini anchor the meal. You can get the recipe here!

4. Pork & Noodle Stir-Fry 

A stir-fry is one of the easiest and most delicious things anyone can cook in my opinion. The beauty of a stir-fry is that it's completely customizable! The sweetness of the pork works perfectly with the heat from the chili, while the vermicelli noodles are nice and light for summer. You can get the recipe here!

5. No Bake Granola Bars 

I personally love to bake, but sometimes it is just too hot in our apartment (we do not have central air unfortunately). So naturally, anything that has "no-bake" in front of it, instantly catches my eye! These granola bars are so tasty and as a bonus, also happen to be quite good for you too! You can get the recipe here!

6. Fresh Fruit & Smoothies 

Of course, one of the most refreshing things you can enjoy quilt-free throughout the summer is fresh fruit. You can either enjoy it in its natural state, or blend a few different fruits together in order to make a smoothie. If you're interested in a few smoothie recipes, I've got two great ones here!

Diet and Fitness Spring Cleaning

Continuing on with the spring trend, I’m going to talk about how to “spring clean” your diet and fitness regime. If you live somewhere cold like me, you probably ate a lot of hearty, if not downright heavy, comfort food over the winter.

When the temperature is -40 degrees, it’s hard to resist digging into a shepard’s pie or chicken casserole, and honestly, I don’t see anything wrong with that. I’m a big fan of eating seasonally, and here in Ontario, winter is not exactly the most ideal time to eat a diet of fresh fruit and vegetables. So now that spring is here, I am very excited to finally get back to using my blender for smoothies full of fresh berries! 

1. Apple, Strawberry, Rhubarb Smoothie

1 whole apple

1 cup rhubarb

1 cup strawberries

1/2 cup POM juice

1/2 cup probiotic yogurt

2. Kale, Coconut Smoothie

1 cup kale

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 avocado

1/2 cup Bolthouse green goodness

2 thin slices of ginger

In terms of fitness, winter can definitely make us feel sluggish, and the freezing cold temperatures can certainly turn us off from getting out and going to the gym. Now that the weather is getting warmer, it’s finally time to gradually ease our bodies back into a consistent fitness routine. If your lifestyle doesn’t allow for you to make it to the gym, I would strongly suggest setting aside some time each day to simply go for a walk. It might not seem like much but it’s a great way to get some cardio into your routine, and it’s also an amazing opportunity for you to unwind and get your mind off of whatever stresses you may be dealing with. I would personally recommend walking for at least 30-45 minutes at a brisk pace in order to get as much benefit out of your walk as possible. One of the reasons that walking is so good for you is because it’s not too physically demanding on your body in the way that say, endurance running can be. Considering that many of us let our exercise regimes slide a bit over the winter, it’s also a good idea to ease back into a fitness routine with cardio like speed walking so you don’t injure yourself or overdo it. You can check out my post on athletic gear here for some inspiration!