The weather is getting hotter (and hotter and hotter) out there! That means it’s time to talk healthy recipes that will cool you down. You may have heard of eating seasonally and that doesn’t just mean local produce (although that’s a great start!). Eating seasonally also means consuming warming foods during the colder winter months and, you guessed it, cooler foods during the hot summer season. 

Eat THIS

Ayurveda, yoga’s ancient healing science, is a great place to turn when you want to know more about balancing the body using food and herbs. According to this wisdom tradition, when our bodies are working so hard to stay cool during the summer, we should be helping it along by eating foods that cool our digestion. Kind of obvious, right? Some of our favorites on this list include fresh fruits such as melons and berries; cucumbers; and bitter, leafy greens like watercress, arugula, spinach, and kale. You should drink plenty of water and even treat yourself to some coconut water, which has built in electrolytes. Add cooling herbs such as mint, cilantro, and basil to your dishes as well. 

Not THAT

Try to avoid foods that have the tendency to create heat in the body, especially during the warmest months of the summer season. These include anything fried, oily and overly salty or spicy. Foods like onions, garlic and processed or canned foods are also an ayurvedic “no-no” during the summer. Now, we don’t expect that you will adhere perfectly to this list, but it is good to know that incorporating more fresh, cool foods into your diet, even just a few, will help to keep you feeling healthy, light and balanced this season. Just to give you a taste of what is possible, we have some great recipes below, inspired by Ayurveda and the heat of the Indiana summers. 

Guacamole, anyone?

Chips and guacamole are a no-brainer combo for a cooling and delicious summer snack. The star of the show, avocado, is rich in healthy fats, a multitude of vitamins, and minerals such as potassium and folate. Mix it up with some delicious, fresh produce and you have a bowl of yum that is sure to satisfy a whole crowd. 

Purple cabbage eaters

Want to help your body detox and cool down at the same time? Then try out some purple cabbage. Make this healthy, veggie-packed salad and feel better than ever. The best part? Cabbage can hold up under the weight of dressing for a few days, so if you make one big batch, you will either have enough dinner and leftovers for the fam or enough lunch to get you through the week! Add some lean protein on the side for a whole meal. 

Fun for the whole fam

If you want a fun recipe that the whole family can get into, then check out these Fresh Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce. These are a great, healthy addition to your family’s summer recipe rotation because the filling can be changed up to please even the pickiest of eaters. Not only that, but it is also picnic friendly. And don’t even get us started on the yumminess of that peanut sauce… 

Sip and slurp

Want a delicious, cool beverage for an afternoon of summer sunshine fun? This one packs a load of vitamin C and electrolytes. Move over, Gatorade, the only ingredients in this Lemon Lime Energy Tonic are natural and you probably have most of them in your home right now!

Fire up the grill

Wake up your taste buds and have a healthy dose of delicious protein with this Firecracker Grilled Salmon recipe! You can use different type of fish or even sub chicken and still have a feast with this delicious marinade. Serve alongside a fresh salad for the ultimate in cooling summer foods. 

Whether you are cooking for yourself or your whole family, getting some healthy and cooling foods on the table will help everyone beat the summer heat.