Healthy Summer Food Swaps are way easier to make than winter swaps. This is because the healthy Mediterranean diet becomes more accessible in the summer. Our farmers markets are spilling over with an abundance of fresh, organic fruits and veggies. What’s better than a sliced Heirloom tomato with fragrant shredded basil leaves, and chunks of creamy avocado? Filling your cart and your plate with fresh fruits and veggies, nuts, seeds, legumes, and even a little wild fish such as salmon, is definitively the most healthy way to go.
So, let’s dig in and look a little more closely at some useful healthy summer food swaps.
Ice Cream: Instead of dairy ice creams, which are filled with sugar and additives, consider making your own simple vegan ice cream, or looking at the wonderful dairy-free selection of insane ice treats from So Delicious.
Popsicles: Swap out store bought pops, which often come loaded with sugar, for a simple DIY organic berry popsicle.
Ice Blended Drinks: The ice blended drinks you can buy at the coffee shop are almost always filled with sugar syrup. I recommend making your own at home – and the great news is that you can fill them with super food ingredients, so that a delicious ice-blended becomes an immunity-boosting beverage too!
Burgers: Summer is the time for burgers on the grill, right? Why not decide to go meat-free this summer. I love Hilary’s Eat Well burgers, which are soy/nut free and SO tasty. Or, you could easily make your own burger using a Portabello mushroom in place of the meat.
Tuna Salad: A tuna salad is a picnic sandwich classic, but why not avoid the mercury entirely by making my yummy vegan alternative – which tastes incredibly similar to what you might be used to!
Soda: Swap out unhealthy sodas for health-enhancing DIY versions. Try my zesty ginger ale, or my Lavender mint and basil lemonade.
I also love a probiotic drink called Kevita as a delicious soda alternative.
Taco Tuesday: If you are a Taco lover (as my family are), make your own vegan version, which is stuffed with plant-based ingredients to help you fight cancer and heart disease.
Hummus and Dips: Save money, and add extra protein (by way of beans) by making your own hummus.
BBQ Sauce: Store bought sauces can be filled with loads of unhealthy ingredients, which is why I highly recommend making your own.
Mayo: The best Mayo in the world (vegan mayo to boot) is hand’s down Just Mayo by Hampton Creek. It tastes just like a creamy egg-based mayo…actually, better!
Hamburger Buns: Instead of those white buns that will send your sugar sky high, opt for Sprouted Grain Buns (I always have these in my freezer).
Salad Dressings & Marinades: Summer is salad and marinade time, but salad dressings can be the worst offenders when it comes to added sugar, and other additives. I always make my own:
Sophie’s Simple Honey Mustard Dressing/Marinade
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup avocado oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp raw honey
1 clove of garlic
1 small shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Blend all ingredients in your blender.
Store in in a cook, dark cabinet (freeze will thicken the oils too much).
I recommend tripling the quantities and keeping in a Mason jar, especially if you eat a lot of salad.
