Navigating Healthy Eating For Summer Vacation

As we head towards longer days of sun, heat, and nostalgic laid back summer fun, eating and cooking healthy meals sometimes falls to the wayside in favor of post-outing fast food stops, friend filled potluck barbecue weekends, and the random indulgence of commercial foods and treats available at popular activity, swimming, and playtime hotspots. Work with us to gain accessible knowledge on how to make better choices, incorporate seasonal produce, and help your family get back on track with having the energy to make your summertime fun as fantastic as possible! Follow along for some of our favorite hacks on meal-prep, social eating, saving money, and easy tips and tricks for overall wellness.

While it's always on the agenda to enjoy an occasional splurge and relax on your sunny days off, whether at home or away from home, making sure you stay on track in nurturing your nutritional needs and consuming all your needed vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants from fruits and veggies (which are being less and less incorporated in the average snack, takeout, grab'n go item, or trendy recipe your friend's neighbor made for the backyard dinner party), is always on the forefront of our minds. Luckily, there are tons of super laidback ways to make sure you are hitting your goals and having a good time without the stress.

01: Keep Active with Friends and Family

Staying active during vacation time (or let's face it, even the newest heat wave), can be challenging! Simplify your workout plans by centering outings and social time around shared physical activity to keep things collaborative, motivating, and screen-free. This could look like a day at the beach creating obstacle courses with little ones, an evening hike with family or friends, some well-deserved quiet time with a yoga class to keep the body flowing and energized, or swimming gentle laps at the community pool. Even incorporating small bouts of movement like a morning walk or a 20 minute dance workout on Youtube are great ways to stay fit.

02: Make Swaps For Healthy Sweets

The iconic summer treat: a classic staple for vacation days, childhood memories of no-school, cooling down on hot afternoons, and spending free time with friends and family on long afternoons that turn into late nights. While obviously a fun indulgence, many store-bought sweets and bakery items are loaded with refined sugars, high-fructose corn syrup, food dyes and additives, and hydrogenated oils/saturated fats. Luckily, you can make simple swaps for the treats you love by centering summer fruits and high-quality vanilla and cacao/chocolate to replicate your favorite flavors while cutting out the bad stuff! Try making your own popsicles with fresh fruit juice and frozen yogurt, or make DIY naturally sweetened brownie bites using rolled oats, walnuts, maple syrup, and cocoa powder!

03: Pack a Veggie-Filled Picnic

Not only a fun, low-budget summer activity, but also a great way to get your whole household in the kitchen and creating healthy, veggie packed meals that keep you healthy and energized for the day ahead, is the humble picnic! Incorporate fun containers and placeware, colorful blankets and baskets, and put together shareable recipes to enjoy outdoors, even if it's just in your backyard! Create light bites with fun favorites like herby summer rolls with shrimp, chicken, or tofu, create rainbow tea sandwiches using different fruits and vegetables, or take a twist on a summer staple by mixing together a simple watermelon salad with feta and mint. The possibilities are endless!

04: Shop Local and Seasonal

While the farmer's market has a modern rap for being a weekend hangout to try new foods, it can also be a super useful tool in your grocery shopping, both for eating healthy and saving money, eating seasonal produce from local farms, and reducing transportation through sustainability! If crowds aren't your thing, opt to find local farms that sell through CSA boxes, individual farm stands, delivery services, or in small grocery and produce shops! Centering your meals around what is in-season not only works as an easy way to boost your fruit and vegetable intake, but also as a great way to engage in community and celebrate unique culinary endeavors.

05: Bring Something New

Have another family gathering or backyard bbq with friends coming up but can't stand to eat another potluck dish or grilled hot dog? Offer to bring something new and cook a dish at home you can bring to share and are excited yourself to try. Creating uniqueness and anticipation in social settings for making healthy eating choices is an easy way to take the stress off while staying engaged in the group, and feeling positive about your own healthy choices. Toss together a kale caesar salad with grilled chicken, a citrusy mediterranean orzo dish, or a customizable lettuce cup bar with different toppings to celebrate yummy nutritious food and togetherness.

Navigating making healthy choices during summer doesn't have to be stressful or keep you from the fun! Utilize these simple tricks and implement small achievable goals and strategies that keep you motivated and feeling good. And above all, make your summertime activities, whether spent individually or amongst a group, centered around fun healthy activities you wont even realize are beneficial!

Want more help staying on track? Book a consultation for one-on-one nutrition coaching with us through our website, and keep an eye out for our upcoming mini course on achieving that summer glow-up with easy recipes, videos, workouts, activities, wellness tips and worksheets!