Foods and Snacks to Keep Your Cool

It’s the ‘dog days’ of summer and the heat can really take a toll on our willingness to cook hot meals. Watch my recent appearance on Let’s Talk Live DC as I show some of my favorite foods and snacks that are nice and cool and you don’t have to turn on the oven to enjoy them! Read on for some fresh and flavorful foods and snack ideas to help keep your cool in this hot and humid summer weather. Go Tart Go tart – tart cherries that is! Tart cherries have been found in research to help ease muscle pain and improve sleep quality and they happen to be a great ingredient in some cold food recipes. We’ve seen tart cherry juice be effective for muscle recovery in both runners and cyclists, so no matter what your sport, this is a cool addition to your nutrition routine.  Enjoy a refreshing homemade popsicle  made with tart cherry juice and coconut milk. Not only is this an easy way to cool down for anyone in the family, but it’s a smart idea for after a workout too so you can get the benefits of easing muscle pain and inflammation associated with exercise. Chilled soups are hydrating and refreshing in this weather. Try making Tart Cherry Gazpacho which is a chilled soup made with tart cherry juice and frozen tart cherries – this is a really flavorful, cool way to start off a summer brunch or dinner party. Tart cherries naturally contain melatonin which helps improve sleep quality and duration.Tart cherries are easy to include in a variety of recipe...
Source: Balanced Health and Nutrition Rebecca Scritchfield's Blog - Category: Nutritionists and Food Scientists Authors: Tags: cooking eating healthy food recipes vegetables chilled soups fritolay frozen desserts granola healthy convenience foods homemade popsicle recipes KIND protein snack dips summer snacks tart cherries Source Type: blogs