By now you know how much we love summer.  There’s nothing quite like cooking out with family and friends, taking your workout outdoors and showing off those hard earned muscles under the summer sun.   Unfortunately, it’s also our least favorite time of year to spend in a sweltering kitchen!    Don’t want to slave over the oven? No problem, fall back on these quick and tasty meal ideas instead…..

Low fat cottage cheese- with real berries, pineapple or any fruit (without added sugar) is quick and light enough for a summer snack, breakfast or lunch.

Greek Yogurt Parfait - Still haven’t tried this one?   Check it out under your recipe tab.  We promise, you won’t be disappointed!  Bonus:  Double up the recipe to have plenty on hand for the week.
 
Lean turkey roll up on a low carbohydrate, whole wheat wrap- Go ahead and load it up with anything you’ve got in the fridge- tomatoes, lettuce, hummus, onions, olives, roasted red peppers,  salad fixings, etc.  Add some sliced avocado for delicious, heart healthy fat.

Salad topped with tuna, cottage cheese, turkey or pre-cooked chicken.  The summer is the perfect time to get creative with your salads.  Layer your favorite greens with veggies, chopped or dried fruit, toasted nuts, light dressing and some protein and you’ve got a colorful meal in minutes.

A Protein and Fruit Smoothie is an ideal way to cool down this summer and get a big dose of calcium, fiber, and powerful antioxidants.  Even better, having a smoothie a day can help ward off cravings for other  high calorie summer time treats like ice cream.    Blend low fat milk or soymilk (try Lactaid if your lactose intolerant) with fruit (bananas and berries for example), some “good” fat like peanut butter, nuts, or ground flax seed, with your favorite protein powder (whey or soy) and ice until smooth.  Our favorite combo:  banana, strawberries, natural peanut butter, vanilla protein powder, 1% low fat milk and ice all swirled together in a blender….delicious!

Want more ideas?  Check out your Recipe Tab!  Each recipe in our collection is specifically designed to be balanced, delicious, FAST and EASY!  And the majority of recipes can be made in bulk and even frozen for meals later on (which fits in nicely with your busy summer).    How about Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad or BBQ Shrimp Kebobs?  Sure, some of these recipes will require cooking but if you take the time to cook in bulk once or twice this week, you can make enough food to last you for days.  Give it a shot and your summer might just get a whole lot easier! 

Enjoy your summer.  And feel free to drop us a line about your FAST and favorite summer time meals….we’d love to hear from you!

Our best,

The Venice Nutrition Team