6428

Summer Fruit Salad: A Cool and Healthy Choice for Hot Days

[caption id="attachment_4716" align="alignright" width="640"]Cool Recipes for Hot Days Young Woman Cooking in the kitchen. Healthy Food for Christmas (stuffed duck or Goose)[/caption]

Summer Fruit Salads are a refreshing and nutritious choice when temperatures soar into the 90s and 100s, often accompanied by uncomfortable humidity. During these hot months, cooks tend to avoid heated kitchens, while Seniors seek out chilled meals and cool beverages. Fortunately, summer brings an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, offering a variety of healthy options. Eating fresh produce supports energy levels, strengthens the immune system, helps maintain healthy blood pressure, and promotes regularity. Summer is indeed the perfect time to enjoy a wholesome, nutrient-rich diet.

Watermelon, rich in antioxidants, contains 92% water and is rich in antioxidants. Strawberries, a variety of melons, and peaches help hydrate as well. Choose a variety of fruits, mix with vanilla yogurt, and voila!…  a healthy, cool dessert or fruit salad.

Cucumbers flush toxins, cool sunburn, reduce the chances of cancer, and maintain the kidneys. In the following recipe, cucumbers also add a little “kick” to summer meals.

Recipe for Summer Fruit Salad

  • 1 ½ tsp dill seed

  • ¾ tsp mustard seed

  • ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

  • 1 cup vinegar

  • ¾ cup sugar

  • 2 TB salt

  • 2-3 cucumbers, sliced

  • ½ onion sliced

Mix together and enjoy as a side dish or by itself.

Main dishes are simplified with the availability of fresh produce. Core or halve bell peppers and stuff with a mixture of rice, tomatoes, onions, and browned low-fat ground beef. Top with shredded cheese and heat in the microwave. Fill tomatoes with tuna salad, a “no-cook” delicious recipe. If an outdoor grill is available, barbecue your selection of meat, fish, or veggie kabobs. Keep kitchens cool by grilling sweet corn, potatoes, and eggplant outdoors.

No-Bake Cocoa Cookies

Even sweet-tooths may be satisfied with a recipe for gluten-free No-Bake Cocoa Cookies.

  • 1 ½ cups sugar or sugar substitute

  • ½ cup milk

  • ½ cup butter or one stick of margarine

  • 4 TB unsweetened cocoa powder

  • ½ cup crunchy peanut butter

  • 3 cups quick-cooking oats

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Bring sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa to a boil and cook for 1 -2  minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let cool until hardened. Try to eat just one!

Senior Living Communities love to use local produce stands when planning meals. Some even sponsor farmers’ markets on their campus. Residents might be provided raised garden beds to grow and share “crops.” Seniors who grew up in simpler times remember that the best flavors are homegrown and delivered straight to the table.

Bridge to Better Living knows that one of the most important perks of enjoying a new lifestyle is having healthy, flavorful food. Meals, when enjoyed with others, are opportunities for social engagement, boosting physical and mental health. Contact Bridge to Better Living today to find the most appropriate new lifestyle that fits your or your loved one’s taste.