Summer has a way of inspiring healthier grill foods and one choice for better nutrition can lead to another and another.
3 Easy Ways to Choose Better Nutrition this Summer
When summer comes, a lot of us feel that making a positive change for healthier nutrition can be a reality and this is definitely true. I encourage you to choose Mediterranean nutrition by hopping into your kitchen and taking action with the 3 easy ways described below.
1st Easy Way: Add Veggies to Your Grill
Grilling season is here to stay for many months. The easy way to succeed with a healthier meal is to add summer veggies to what you are grilling. There are so many options like a skewer of cherry tomatoes, sweet Bell pepper chunks, yellow and zucchini squash. Or, grilling round slices of onion and eggplant is definitely a good idea. A little later in the summer, corn on the cob is very tasty when grilled, too. The easiest way to prepare any veggie for grilling is to brush it lightly with extra virgin olive oil and then sprinkle it with dry herbs you like and a pinch of salt and pepper. Veggies can also be marinated in a vinaigrette marinade.
In an earlier blog, I shared an easy recipe for grilled veggies.
2nd Easy Way: Make Fresh Fruit a Must for Breakfast
The colorful, sweet fruits of summer are not to be missed for breakfast. There are many options for enjoying strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, plums, and fresh figs. Two easy ways with summer fruit are as a topping for yogurt and as a topping for a whole grain cereal. Or, get fancier with a fruit and yogurt parfait topped with nuts and/or granola.
In an earlier blog, I shared the recipe for a fruit and yogurt parfait.
3rd Easy Way: Make a Homemade Salad Dressing with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Summer inspires a lot of people to make cold foods, including salads. There are green salads, chopped veggie salads, Greek salads, grilled chicken salads, pasta salads, bean salads, and many more. For all of these salads and others that you dream up, a dressing made from 2 simple Mediterranean ingredients is best. Try an easy combo of extra virgin olive oil (2 tablespoons per person per salad) and fresh lemon juice or vinegar (1 tablespoon per person per salad.) After that, you can add a sprinkle of garlic powder, salt, black pepper, dried oregano, dried thyme, or chopped up fresh herbs. Flavor your salad to taste super fresh with a homemade dressing based on healthy extra virgin olive oil.
In an earlier blog, I shared ideas and recipes for homemade salad dressings.
Move Step-by-Step to Summer Nutrition with a Mediterranean Twist
As they say, a journey of 1,000 miles begins with the first step. So does the journey to better nutrition with Mediterranean food choices. Try to take your first step this month as summer begins and then take one more step next month and the next month. Every step will lead to delicious discoveries and feeling better, trust me. To learn more about Mediterranean meals, here’s my free meal planner with recipes. Enjoy the journey ahead of you!
Which easy way to more Mediterranean nutrition will you start with and why?