The Best Foods To Beat The Summer Heat

The weather in Mumbai seems to be a little off-centre with certain days feeling like the peak of summer followed by rain and clouds. Either way, it is still pretty steamy and we’re struggling to find ways to beat the heat. It isn’t easy (or a good idea) to stay in air conditioned rooms for the entire day because that can be very dehydrating at a time when you’re already losing lots of moisture through sweat. We’ve come up with a list of foods that will help you stay hydrated while beating the summer heat for you to chow down on for the next few months.

Summer Heat
 

Vegetable

Most people think about lettuce or cucumber when it comes to veggies with high water content, but what about tomatoes? They are almost 95% water and can be used in a huge variety of ways. Think about a Caprese salad with chilled tomatoes, cold burrata and fresh basil leaves- yum! What about a healthy kachumber salad with diced tomatoes, onions and cucumbers tossed with lemon, salt and pepper? Tomatoes are also packed full with antioxidants, vitamin C and lycopene, a phytochemical which has been shown to prevent cancer.

Caprese Salad
 

Fruit

We know watermelon is everyone’s favourite summer fruit, it’s sweet, refreshing and super cooling. Apart from being almost totally made of water, watermelons are also summer fruits meaning you can eat them while they taste best, which is while they are in season. While aiding with digestion, they also contain those fabulous lycopenes which protect your skin cells from sun damage. We love making watermelon juice with cold watermelon, a watermelon feta salad with sprigs of fresh herbs or even just freezing chunks of watermelon and eating them like ice lollies!

Watermelon
 

Protein

When you think about summer, the last thing you want to eat is a hot curry or spicy Indian meal. It’s a good idea to find ways to reduce your level of spice intake and focus on light, wholesome flavours. Our favourite protein during the summer has to be shrimp. You can grill shrimp in butter or olive oil, toss them with lemon juice, parmesan and parsley and eat them as a meal or even with pasta for something heartier. Apart from being high in protein, shrimp are also low in calories, making them even more popular with us!

Protein
 

Drink

Swap your morning coffee or chai for a chilled glass of iced tea! Besides reducing your consumption of caffeine, iced tea can be as healthy or indulgent as you choose. Tea is full of antioxidants and is a clever way to up your water intake while still having some flavour. One can of coke can weigh in at about 39 grams of sugar so ditch those fizzy drinks and start brewing your own delicious iced tea at home. What’s even better is that you can infuse your tea with any fruit or herb that you like thereby personalizing it to your own taste.

Iced Tea

 

Whichever of these you choose, the most important thing to remember during the summer is to drink enough water. Stay hydrated and you’ll cruise through the blazing heat as cool as a cucumber!