Summer Foods Advice - An A-Z

Nothing is better than fruits as you want to quench your thirst. However, fruit juices and smoothies can cool your body more effectively.

  Directions- Place a piece of foil on a flat surface. Add a large white Idaho potato to the center. Stab the potato a few times with a fork. Place a small amount of butter or margarine on the potato. Season the outside of the potato with coarse white salt. Roll up in the foil. Place on grill for approximately 30- 40 minutes. Serve with sour cream and bacon bits.

Here are some foods that you need to keep your cool in the summer and to prevent heat strokes, diarrhea and dehydration.      Raw Mango: It is excellent to prevent sunstroke. Being a good source of Vitamin C, it also boosts our immunity and helps in preventing common cold and other viral infections.        Ripe Mango: Ripe mangoes are zero in fat, excellent for constipation, are a good source of beta-carotene, are great for eyes and skin and are powerful anti-oxidants.        Tender coconut water: Tender coconut water is a natural isotonic beverage with almost the same level of electrolyte balance as we have in our blood. It is an excellent drink for the summer since it is a natural oral rehydration medium, keeps the body cool, application on the body prevents prickly heat and summer boils and also helps rashes subside. No wonder it is called 'fluid of life'.

    Watermelon: Watermelon is not only an excellent thirst-quencher on a really hot day, but is also packed with some important anti-oxidants that can be found in nature. It is an excellent source of vitamin C and a very good source of vitamin A. hence, besides helping you to beat the heat; it also helps in boosting up your immunity.      

Melons: Melons are also very effective in providing a cooling effect to the body.      

Cucumber: Cucumbers make one of the most refreshing and light summer foods. It also has a mild diuretic effect on our body, i.e. it increases the flow of urine. It is also an excellent soothing agent to the skin.      

Sugarcane juice: Sugarcane juice is an excellent drink to cool your body. It is also a good source of glucose, which helps in keeping you energetic throughout the day.      

Grapes: Grapes are abundant in fruit sugar, vitamins and natural mineral salts and thus help in maintaining electrolyte balance in our body in a natural way.      

Buttermilk: Buttermilk is an excellent cooling and nourishing drink to beat the summer heat. To make buttermilk, whip up some yogurt with mint, coriander, ginger, cumin and salt and add some chilled water to it. Moreover, the yogurt contains probiotics or the good bacteria which helps in keeping our digestive system in good health and disease-free.      

Herbs: Herbs like cumin and mint are also known for their cooling effect on our body. Jal-jeera, a drink made from cumin seeds is quite a popular drink to beat the summer heat.

 Water: Consume a lot of water throughout the day to make up for lost fluids, especially through body swat in summers. Loss of fluids can make you feel tired and low on energy, so it is important to replenish yourself with ample water. Also, sugary soda drinks or sports drinks that contain water can further dehydrate the body, so substitute them with a glass of natural coconut water instead.

  Directions- Place a piece of foil on a flat surface. Add a large white Idaho potato to the center. Stab the potato a few times with a fork. Place a small amount of butter or margarine on the potato. Season the outside of the potato with coarse white salt. Roll up in the foil. Place on grill for approximately 30- 40 minutes. Serve with sour cream and bacon bits.

  Most beans and legumes are packed with fiber and protein without large amounts of calories. Peas, lentils, black beans, butter beans, lima beans, garbanzo beans, and chickpeas also are a good source of iron. They can be consumed raw or added to salads. Or, you can use them to make hummus and serve them as a dip with pita bread.


  OK, water is not technically a food, but it is essential to a diet. Your body needs it for digestion, metabolism and pretty much all body functions. In the summer as you sweat more it is important to drink extra water or eat fruits and vegetables that are high in water contest.