Summer Nutrition Hacks: How to Eat Healthy During Summer Events
Healthy eating in the summer can be a HEAD-ACHE. With all the BBQs, patio happy hours, beach days, picnics, and summer ice-creams on a brutally hot n’ humid day - nutrition can often slip out of our hands… And, all the (admittedly ridiculous) ‘bikini season’ advertisements don’t help with the guilt, shame, or blame that comes from indulging in our favourite summer bites.
Nutrition (regardless of what season you’re in) is all about BALANCE.
Balancing nourishment for your body AND nourishment for your soul.
Imagine a scale of 1-10.
1 = you ONLY eat “non-nutrient-dense foods” (pop tarts for breakfast , lunch and dinner)
10 = you ONLY eat “nutrient-rich foods” (cue the chicken breast, broccoli, and quinoa meals).
On this scale…
1-4 = Sad Zone (your body won’t feel good, you’ll likely feel tired, bloated, hungry, and craving more food)
9-10 = Also a Sad Zone (you’ll be missing out on some of those delicious “soul foods” that you love)
Oftentimes, the diet industry pushes us from sad zone to sad zone - jumping “all in” and “eating perfectly” to jumping right back out and falling “way off the rails”.
The zone you actually want to be in?
7-8
That is, 70-80% of your foods be nourishing ones that you also love.
And, 20-30% be soul-nourishing foods that make you feel happy and balanced!
This concept applies year-round - including the summer!
And, this is where my “Plate Method” fits in beautifully…
The plate method is a model you can picture in your mind to help you build a well-balanced meal.
Fill half of your plate with colourful vegetables - mostly non-starchy vegetables for fiber, volume, vitamins, minerals, and water content
Fill quarter of your plate with protein - look for a variety - eggs, dairy, meat, poultry, soy (tempeh, tofu, edamame), or other vegan/vegetarian proteins
Fill quarter of your plate with carbohydrates - look for ones that are from whole foods & higher in fiber - whole grains, beans, fruits with skin, starchy vegetables (think: sweet potatoes, corn, beets, green peas, etc.)
Then, garnish and cook with healthy fats. Add your favourites (these bring FLAVOUR to your meal!) - guacamole/avocado, olives, olive oil, nuts, seeds, nut butters, etc.
Some of my current FAV summer recipes include…
Chickpea edamame and quinoa salad (ADD a small pc of salmon, chicken, eggs, tofu, OR some fresh cooked shrimp for protein content)
Lentil & Broccoli Salad with Tahini (ADD a higher fat protein such as salmon, chicken thighs, grilled steak, or shrimp cooked in a bit of olive oil for protein content)
Grilled Chicken with Sundried Tomato Bruschetta (ADD a side bean or grain salad for complex carbohydrates)
Mediterranean Chicken Salad (this is a complete meal all on its own)
Banana & Pecan Chia Seed Pudding (this is a complete breakfast meal all on its own)
Baked Cod with Lentils & Tomatoes (ADD a side salad or steamed veg for just a TAD more veg content)
Grilled Peaches with Honey Yogurt & Pistachios (a fantasticcccc summer dessert - especially for peach season!)
Mediterranean Farro Salad with Salmon (this is a complete meal all on its own but you could absolutely add more veg if you’d like)
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But what about at events? (where veggies aren’t always a “thing”)…
Here are three tips to use…
Use the SAME Plate Method
Fill as close to 1/2 of a plate as possible with veggie-focussed dishes.
You may find a meat and veggie skewer, a caesar salad, a greek salad, or a veggie platter appetizer.
Then, fill 1/4 of your plate with some sort of protein
A burger, a hot dog, a sausage, shrimp, etc.
And, lastly, fill 14 of your plate with carbs.
In the case of the event, these carbs might be “soul foods” - maybe you have some pasta salad, a fluffy hamburger bun, a 1/4 plate of chips, potato salad, etc. Choose something you know you’ll LOVE
Bring a nourishing dish you LOVE to the party. Think of veggie-focussed dishes (as those are typically missing from BBQs or parties)
Your favourite summer salad, grilled vegetable skewers, or a veggie-and-hummus appetizer platter. This will help you add a fresh vegetable to your meal.
Think of the concept of ADDing. Ask yourself - what could I ADD to this meal to make it just a bit more nourishing that it otherwise would’ve been? Maybe you can’t eat “the best” thing right now - and that’s totally OKAY - keep things simple and focus on one small thing you could do/eat to support yourself just a tad bit more.
Perhaps its fiber (ie: a bean salad, a whole grain, or some fruit).
Maybe you can add one more vegetable.
Or, maybe you can add just a bit of healthy fats (pesto, avocado, or nuts/seeds). Think in terms of “good, better, and best”.
BONUS: Favourite Meal Prep Stuff For the Summer
I get it - life gets BUSYYYY. And, who wants to stay at home & spend literal HOURS in the kitchen when it’s so gosh-darn gorgeous outside?
A few things I like to do in the summer for EASY, healthy meals all week long.
Prep 4-5x chia seed puddings OR overnight oats. These last 4-5 days in the fridge and are super easy to grab-and-go for breakfast.
If you’re more of a savoury person, you could also batch-cook egg muffins - place enough in the fridge for 5 days, then pop the rest in the freezer for the next week.
Weekend prep
One protein - this might be grilled chicken (or BBQ!), meatballs (cooked in mini muffin tins for ease), ground meat, roasted or pan-fried tofu/tempeh, etc.
Store bought option - rotisserie chicken
Others to have on hand - smoked salmon, pre-cooked shrimp, shelled edamame
One veggie - roast a giant tray of red peppers & carrots… or quick-stir fry of a batch of frozen veggies
Others to have on hand - salad pack from the store, shredded carrots, cherry tomatoes, snap peas, cucumber (most of these don’t require chopping and none need cooking - great for salads)
One grain or complex carb - farro, quinoa, sweet potato (diced), etc.
Others to have on hand - canned beans, fresh/frozen fruit
Pick up some sort of fatty dressing - hummus, guac, pesto, olive oil vinaigrette, Primal Kitchen dressing, etc.
What you can make with your prepped foods
Protein & grain salad with pesto, hummus, guac, etc.
Grain “power bowl” with guac, protein, cheese, shredded carrots, cherry toms, and cucumber
Bean and egg scramble with roasted or stir-fried veg
Mason jar salad (grain & dressing at the bottom —> protein —> cherry toms, cucumber, carrots —> lettuce/salad mix at the top (so it doesn’t get soggy from the dressing —> when serve, turn upside down onto a plate/bowl and the lettuce will then be on the bottom, followed by veg, protein, grain, and dressing
The bottom line(s)
Nutrition is NOT about being perfect - it’s about finding a balance of nourishment for the body & nourishment for the soul. The goal is to feel your best physically (nourishing your body) while also feeling free with food (nourishing your soul).
Think about what you can ADD to your meals. Again, this goes along the same lines of “not trying to be perfect”. It can be super overwhelming (and discouraging) trying to get the “perfect macros” or “count every calorie that enters your mouth”. Not to mention, constantly stressing over macros & calories is very likely to backfire later on as it becomes unsustainable and frankly, not fun! Instead, focus on small additions - and build from there. Every small step forwards will add up to some incredible changes long-term.
Experiment with local fruits & vegetables to find foods you LOVE and that are nourishing (the best of both worlds). Who knows - maybe you’ll find some “staples” that make your your body & soul jump for joy.
Do a little bit of prep, if possible. Not anything crazy - but a few things here & there. If it is too challenging to prep foods - try to make ONE extra serving each time you cook dinner to have an already-made lunch the next day.
Reminder of some of my fav recipes that you may like to “toss” into your meal rotation!
Chickpea edamame and quinoa salad (ADD a small pc of salmon, chicken, eggs, tofu, OR some fresh cooked shrimp for protein content)
Lentil & Broccoli Salad with Tahini (ADD a higher fat protein such as salmon, chicken thighs, grilled steak, or shrimp cooked in a bit of olive oil for protein content)
Grilled Chicken with Sundried Tomato Bruschetta (ADD a side bean or grain salad for complex carbohydrates)
Mediterranean Chicken Salad (this is a complete meal all on its own)
Banana & Pecan Chia Seed Pudding (this is a complete breakfast meal all on its own)
Baked Cod with Lentils & Tomatoes (ADD a side salad or steamed veg for just a TAD more veg content)
Grilled Peaches with Honey Yogurt & Pistachios (a fantasticcccc summer dessert - especially for peach season!)
Mediterranean Farro Salad with Salmon (this is a complete meal all on its own but you could absolutely add more veg if you’d like)
Looking for support through the summer?
I have a pre-recorded Masterclass alllll about this that I’d love to share with you. Send an email to info@kenzieosborne.com with the subject line “Summer Nutrition” and I’ll send you a copy of the Masterclass for FREE!
I’d love to help you navigate the summer & find peace & happiness with food. Let’s book a 20 minute intro chat and set one clear goal for you to focus on that will help you progress towards feeling energized, confident, and free with food.