Yesterday was glorious in the UK and gave us the perfect weather we always crave. What a treat to walk in the sunshine and drive around with the windows down and warm air blowing through our hair.
However, what really signified the start of Summer for me was our first BBQ dinner of 2024.
We love a good BBQ, but easy does it! No one can deny that if you are a meat eater, eating plate upon plate of meat is excessive and not beneficial to our physical health.
If we’re honest, a good BBQ means we’ll have several sausages, a mouth-watering burger, some chicken wings, and most likely some lamb kebab, ribs, and/or steak. No one orders like this in a restaurant, but at a BBQ – no one questions it. In fact, if you don’t eat like this at a BBQ, it is considered unusual.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not about to give up BBQs anytime soon or cut back on, in my opinion, a delicious meal. But, I recognise that enjoying it in moderation and as part of a balanced diet is needed.
As such, I suggest that now summer is upon us, we mix up our BBQ meals and eat as much summer nutrition as possible alongside it.
Here are my tips to create a perfectly balanced spread that blends BBQ season with the best summer nutrition.
Seasonal eating
As the sun begins to shine brighter and the days grow longer, now is the perfect time to embrace all the fresh and vibrant foods around. This way, we fuel our body with essential nutrients, stay hydrated, and enhance our well-being to take on life.
Light and refreshing salads
No BBQ is complete without a colourful salad. My current favourite comprises leafy greens, including spinach, rocket, and watercress – combined with Kalamata olives, refreshing cucumber, artichoke, and vibrant beetroot.
I then enhance this with more nutritional intake by adding protein-rich sources such as chicken breast, salmon, or quinoa. I also love adding feta or parmesan cheese shavings and a sprinkle of pomegranate.
Bringing everything together is a light homemade dressing of extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and wholegrain honey/mustard.
Lastly, I toss in a generous helping of mixed sunflower, pumpkin, chia, and Linseed. For me, this is the perfect accompaniment for any BBQ meal.
Hydrating summer fruits
- Berries and cherries. Our family cannot wait for the end of June when strawberries and cherries will be ripe at pick your own farms. But, before then, our supermarkets, greengrocers, and local convenience stores are brimming in abundance with blueberries, cherries, blackberries, and raspberries throughout the summer. As well as being refreshingly moreish, berries and cherries are rich in Vitamin C, antioxidants, and fibre to support immunity, healthy bones, and digestion. Health experts also rave about raspberries and strawberries’ anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Moreover, they protect against UV-induced skin damage and help wound healing. What other reason do we need to start eating these in quantity!?
- Peaches, nectarines, and apricots are delicious and extra sweet during the summer – perfect for a BBQ spread. They’re also excellent sources of vitamins A, B, and C – vital for our immunity, skin and vision health, building antioxidants, energy, metabolism, and maintaining brain function.
- Bananas are great for the summer because they are full of potassium. When we sweat in the heat, potassium helps regulate our blood pressure and fluid balance.
- Melons are incredibly hydrating to eat in the summer. Our family favourite is watermelon. My husband grew up in a hotter climate surrounded by them, and now our little boy can’t get enough watermelon, just like his Daddy. Not only mouthwateringly tasty, they quench thirst and are nutrient-rich, known to reduce the risk of various diseases, such as prostate, lung, and stomach cancers.
Cooling beverages
Due to its menthol content, peppermint has a naturally cooling effect.
In Arab countries and other hot climates, peppermint tea is enjoyed to cool the body and relieve the heat.
I have always loved peppermint and fresh mint tea for the refreshing sensation it creates in the mouth and throat, especially on a hot day.
Even better is it helps to bring down the body temperature and aid digestion.
My other go-to beverages during the summer months, perfect for BBQs, are shop-bought coconut water and homemade cucumber & mint-infused water.
For coconut water, my top pick is Innocent’s 100% pure coconut water with no concentrates or sweeteners added.
To share your tips to balance BBQ season with summer nutrition, I’d love to hear from you – just drop me a note here.
