HEALTHIER SUMMER DRINKS

Healthier Summer Drinks

Temperatures are rising, and that means shorts weather, beach vacations, and barbequing, plus a few refreshing drinks. After all they go hand in hand.

However we have a tendency in the UK and Ireland when it comes to summer beverages to reach for the sugary sodas, fruit juices, glasses of wine, beers or boozy cocktails once the sun shines. These drinks on occasion can be relatively harmless but an over consumption of any of the above can lead to weight gain, dental carries and an excessive alcohol intake can result in serious harm to multiple organs in our body.

While we all realise that one of the easiest ways to stay comfortable in the summer is to cool your body from the inside out, and generally that means lots of cold glasses of water, which can eventually become boring. The good news is that there are alternatives which are equally as tasty when it comes to summer drinks.

Try some of these healthy, cooling, summer ‘mocktails’ instead!

 

·         Cucumber Mint Water – You can mix this right in your glass or in a pitcher. To make a single serving, put a few slices of cucumber and a mint sprig into your glass, add a handful of ice, top off with water, sparkling or plain, stir, and sip!

·         Homemade Raspberry Soda – In a juice glass, crush a small handful of raspberries, top with ice and soda water. Stir well to combine before you drink!

·         Basil Lemonade – Lemonade is a sugary treat, and cutting it with soda water helps cut the sugar without sacrificing taste. Combine 1 part lemonade with 1 part soda water in a pitcher. In each glass, crush a few leaves of basil. Add a handful of ice and fill the glasses with the sparkling lemonade.

·         Citrus Soda – You can do this in a pitcher or in individual glasses. Over a handful of ice, combine 1 part orange or lemon/lime juice, 1 part grapefruit juice, and 1 part soda water. Mix and serve.

·         Herbaceous Cooler - Crush a few sprigs of mint and coriander and a couple of basil leaves in the bottom of a glass with a squeeze of lemon juice. Add a handful of ice and top off with soda water for a refreshing herbal treat.

Summer drinks don’t have to be all about fruit. You can use teas and herbs as the base for all kinds of delicious ‘mocktails’ to keep you cool in the summer heat.

 

·         Iced Ginger Tea with Lemon – Boil 4 cups of water and pour over large bowl with 4 bags of ginger tea. Steep for 15-20 minutes, then remove the bags and transfer to a pitcher. Pour the tea into glasses full of ice and add a squeeze of lemon.

·         Iced Orange Chamomile Tea – Bring 3 1/2 cups of water to a boil, then turn off the burner and submerge 4 bags of chamomile tea. Steep for 5-7 minutes, then transfer to a pitcher and let it cool completely. Add 1/2 cup of orange juice to the pitcher and pour it into glasses full of ice to serve.

Healthy Picnic Ideas for Summer   We all love the picnics during the summer – however traditional picnic foods like pies, crisps and potato salads can wreak havoc on your diet. The good news is that with a little tweaking, you can enjoy a picnic without compromising your waistline. Here are some healthy picnic food ideas that will hopefully delight everyone.   Crisps can be a tempting and convenient grab for the basket, but the calorie and salt content of these snacks can easily add up to staggering amounts with every handful. For this reason, it may be best to skip the chips entirely and replace them with wholemeal pita breads, a nice way to serve these is to toast and cut them into small triangles. Raw veggies, including carrots, broccoli and cauliflower, also make a great crunchy chip alternative. For healthier dips, choose hummus, salsa or black bean, guacamole varieties over creamy, fatty dressings such as sour cream and herbs.   When you're picnicking without a bbq, try picking up a roast chicken from your local grocery store to serve as a main dish. Roast chicken meat also pulls off the bone very easily, allowing you to serve portions with a fresh, fruity side, such as mango salsa. Or, if your picnic is more of a walking, talking affair, stuff the meat in a whole wheat pita for better portability.   Create heart-smart, on-the-go fillings for your picnic by packing lean proteins such turkey and chicken, low-fat cheeses, tuna in brine/water, wholegrain bread/wraps, and healthy additions such as lettuce, tomato, cucumber, avocado and peppers.   Salads are a healthy and filling option for a picnic, as long as they're done right. Start with freshly washed, leafy greens, then add fresh veggies and light dressing (but wait to toss in dressings until you're at the picnic site, so the lettuce doesn't get soggy). You can also turn a tossed salad into a main dish by adding proteins such as chickpeas or boneless, skinless chicken breast that you've baked and diced prior to leaving the house. Use your summer flavours - fresh herbs straight from the garden, or your local market, add an extra pop of colour and flavour to your summer salads. The extra flavour isn’t the only reason to add herbs. Many herbs contain antioxidants and other compounds that give them nutrition benefits. So add summer herbs for your health and the flavour.   Pasta, potato and egg salads are usually full of calories and fat, especially those that use ingredients such as mayonnaise, sour cream and cheese. You can lighten up traditional recipes by replacing the starch with wholemeal pasta, or healthy, alternative grains such as couscous or quinoa. To give your new dish some substance, steam and dice vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, courgette and squash, and add them in generous amounts. Avoid using mayonnaise -- which spoils quickly in heat - flavour your side dish with light vinaigrettes instead or a simple olive oil and lemon dressing.   Complex carbohydrates such as grilled/bbq vegetables can make for a filling and healthy side dish. Try preparing a mix of bbq favourites, including summer squash, courgette, peppers, onions and mushrooms, brushing them lightly with olive oil and seasoning them with pepper to taste. Slice up the veggies ahead of time for simplicity, and make clean-up a breeze by wrapping them up in foil before barbequing. If you're headed to a picnic without a bbq, no worries: Just roast the veggies in the oven beforehand and wrap them up to go. They'll taste good cold, too.   To finish, create sweet and healthy kebabs by cutting up a variety of fresh fruit, such as pineapple, mango, apples, peaches, strawberries and bananas. Keep the chunks around cubic inch or less in size, and stack them on skewers, alternating among the different types of fruit as you go.