Welcome Summer and Lightness!
Finally, summer has arrived, bringing with it the desire for lightness and freshness! During the cold season, there is a tendency to linger at the table longer than necessary, consuming calories and fats that will be difficult to burn off. However, in this period, along with the desire to get in shape for swimsuit season, there is a tendency to have quick and fresh meals. But even in this case, pitfalls abound!
Let's see what we need to pay more attention to in order to avoid unnecessary and harmful excesses. The biggest risks are represented by fats and simple sugars.
Let's start with a summer essential: salads. Easy and quick, they are an excellent one-dish meal if composed properly, both at home and away. The main ingredients, or rather, the basic ingredients, should be fresh vegetables: all leafy greens, tomatoes, carrots, arugula. This way, we ensure an adequate amount of fiber, which is also useful for increasing the sense of satiety.
We can decide to compose them with a protein-rich food - chicken, tuna, shrimp, eggs, dairy, or cheese - or add a portion of legumes. In both cases, we need to be careful with the amount of oil, strictly extra virgin olive oil, that we add. If we are at a restaurant, it's better to order it without dressing. We should not exceed with salt, while vinegar and lemon are free. Let's avoid sauces and dressings of dubious origin.
A clarification: corn and potatoes, ingredients commonly used in cold dishes, are carbohydrates and not vegetables (!!) so they represent a substitute for bread, rice, or pasta.
The same attention to dressings should be used if choosing cold dishes based on potatoes, rice, or cereals, pasta. Always better if the choice falls on whole carbohydrates (pasta, rice) dressed with fresh vegetables, cooked with little oil, not fried.
Another major theme in summer is the sugar load, present in a series of foods consumed during meals or snacks.
Some quick suggestions to avoid unnecessary caloric excesses:
the best choice is always fresh seasonal fruit (never seasoned with sugar or honey)
alternatively: natural juices, freshly squeezed juices and smoothies prepared on the spot; it's important that the choice falls on those strictly without added sugars, even better if we choose organic. So, pay attention to the label!
more or less "hidden" sugars are everywhere, even in foods associated with the idea of being healthy like low-fat yogurt. Attention: the term "low-fat" refers to the fat content. So, a yogurt can be low-fat, but rich in added sugars!! That's why I recommend choosing plain low-fat yogurt and adding fresh fruit, preferably cut at the moment. Fruit yogurts always contain sugar or artificial sweeteners, so it's always better to avoid them!
... and ice cream? Let's indulge occasionally, better if artisanal and better if fruit-based.
carbonated and non-carbonated beverages should always be avoided, even light ones, packaged teas, and similar drinks. In summer, drink water at will!
