Foods to Keep You Hydrated this Summer
It’s no secret that as the summer heat ramps up our hydration also needs an extra boost! When you are loading the coolers with extra water, herbal teas and coconut water to spend time outdoors, there is another source of hydration you can lean on to keep hydrated… foods! Hydrating foods can be especially helpful when it comes to kids whom you may have a tough time controlling the amount they are drinking.
What you may not know is that nature is here to help, as it grows foods your body needs in each particular season. Seasonal summer foods are full of water, plus essential minerals and vitamins that help keep you from dehydrating such as electrolytes, potassium and Vitamin C.
Find yourself craving foods like watermelon, tomatoes or cucumbers as the temperatures soar? That’s your intuition kicking in, letting you know what your body needs.
Summer Fruits
There’s nothing quite like cold watermelon on a hot summer day. That’s because its water content is upwards of 92%, hydrating you with every bite. Other seasonal fruits to enjoy are:
Melons - watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydews
Stone Fruit - nectarines, plums, peaches and apricots
Berries - strawberries, blackberries, blueberries
Tropical fruits - kiwi, papaya, pineapple, mango
Summer Vegetables
It may seem counterintuitive to reach for spicy peppers to cool you off, however, with around 88% water content they’re the perfect addition to your summer salads and Buddha bowls. Other great additions are:
Tomatoes
Carrots
Summer Squash
Peppers - both spicy and bell peppers
Jicama
Eggplant
Sunchokes
Cabbage
Cucumber
Celery
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Summer Meal Ideas
Keeping a refrigerator full of ready to go washed and chopped veggies can make meal time a breeze. Ready to put together your meal plan? Try some of our personal favorites:
Summer Soups - gazpacho, cucumber soup or light tomato soups served cool to slightly warm
Brothy Buddha Bowls - loaded with varieties of julienned veggies and spiralized vegetable noodles
Salads - lettuce based salads full of seasonal vegetables or skip the lettuce and go for cucumber-tomato salads, adding in chickpeas, black beans or lentils for extra protein with a light, refreshing vinaigrette
Don’t forget about the Herbs! - the herbs of summer pack a lovely punch of flavor. Add basil and thyme in a tomato sauce and serve over spiralized veggies for a raw pasta marinara. Combine thai basil and cilantro in a Buddha bowl with bok choy, napa cabbage, rice noodles, tofu, peanuts and broth. Ditch the bowl and roll it all into a rice paper wrap for spring rolls and dip in a sauce of your choice, such as a peanut sauce or hoisin.
