Eat light, feel bright: Summer salads and healthy choices

As the summer sun blazes down, our bodies crave light, refreshing meals that not only cool us but also nourish us with essential nutrients.

- TDG NETWORK

The summer season is the perfect time to embrace healthy foods, especially salads, which combine freshness, taste, and health benefits all on one plate. Eating well in summer means focusing on hydration, vitamins, and minerals that replenish what the heat takes away, while also ensuring meals are easy to digest and energy-sustaining. Salads have become a staple of summer diets worldwide, celebrated for their versatility and ability to incorporate a rainbow of fresh ingredients that delight the senses.

WHY SUMMER DEMANDS SPECIAL ATTENTION TO DIET The body loses more water and electrolytes in summer due to sweating, which makes hydration a top priority. This season also increases metabolism slightly as the body works to keep cool, raising the need for nutrient-dense but light meals. Heavy, oily foods can burden the digestive system, while sugary drinks and fried snacks can cause dehydration or sluggishness. Therefore, summer diets should emphasize:

Hydrating Foods: Fruits and vegetables with high water content like cucumbers, watermelon, tomatoes, and oranges help replenish fluids.

Light Proteins: Options such as grilled chicken, fish, legumes, and low-fat dairy provide essential amino acids without heaviness.

Fiber-rich Ingredients: These aid digestion and maintain gut health, helping prevent summer constipation.

Natural Cooling Spices and Herbs: Mint, coriander, fennel, and cumin seeds have cooling properties that soothe the digestive tract and refresh the body.

Healthy salads perfectly fit these requirements and can be customized to suit different tastes and nutritional needs.

THE NUTRITIONAL POWER OF SUMMER SALADS Salads are not just leafy greens tossed together. When thoughtfully prepared, they become nutrient powerhouses packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that support immune health, energy production, and detoxification.