It’s summertime!! And as with any season, some foods are at their peek of deliciousness right now. Sure you can get most foods throughout the year now, but if you want them to be their freshest, local and flavorful, here are the 5 healthy foods you must eat right now.
Watermelon
I’d have to say I’m pretty good at picking out a watermelon and with that, I’ve learned over the years that right now, this part of the summer, is when they are their best. If you want juicy, flavorful watermelon, look for one that isn’t too big, or small, and has an area of discolor on the bottom; which tells you it sat in the field for a while getting ripe to perfection for you. Plus don’t forget the 10 healthy reasons to eat watermelon.
Corn
This shouldn’t be a surprise, but again, this is a food that has a few week of being spectacular and that is right now. Hopefully your store is bursting with corn on the cob as mine was today, with almost every one that I pick up looking beautiful and ready to eat.
Zucchini
Anyone who has grown zucchini knows that you could end up with a ton of it. This delicious vegetable can be made into so many different recipes, or just simply salt and peppered then grilled alongside some protein to make the perfect meal. Here’s my favorite and best zucchini bread recipe.
Tomatoes
What is your summer sandwich? Mine is a good old fashioned BLT, well actually I love a good BLAT; bacon, lettuce, avocado and of course, that incredible summer tomato because there’s nothing like it. And it actually is one of the 10 best foods to fight clogged arteries. Whether you grow your own or get them at the local market, tomatoes in the summer is truly one of the best foods on the planet. Eat them right now!
Beets
In all honesty, I was never a beet fan until my husband once ordered a beet salad and I tried a bite. Oh my! With a little goat cheese and arugula, this very special root vegetable is bursting with flavor. And then I learned how healthy they are for you and that was it, I buy them all of the time and recreate that salad over and over again. Eat beets, especially right now.
Cucumbers
We grew cucumbers in our garden last year and I kid you not, we harvested at least 100 of them, it was nuts. They are one of the most delicious foods you can eat and summer time they are at their peek. Put them in salads, serve them with a little sprinkle of sea salt or even make a cucumber yogurt dip. Eat them, enjoy them, savor them, right now.
Scallions
Too often scallions are forgotten or overlooked and they are the perfect food to incorporate into meals like rice or quinoa dishes, scrambled eggs or atop avocado toast. Right now scallions are available and better than ever so grab a bunch and throw them into everything.
Berries
There aren’t many berries that you can’t get fresh and local right now so take advantage of them when you’re at the store. Berries are extremely good for your health on so many different levels and are one of the 15 best foods to prevent disease and conditions, so it’s important to incorporate them into your diet. Summer time is the best time to enjoy berries; my favorite is the strawberry; what’s yours?
Bell peppers
Every color bell pepper is available right now and they are all beneficial to your health. Eat them. Add them to your meals. Chop them into your guacamole, salsa, dips, salads; peppers are versatile and will never go to waste, so grab a couple this week because they are at their happiest time.
Eggplant
As with all of these foods, you will see them available to you at all of the stores including the eggplant. This is yet another healthful vegetable that sometimes either isn’t available or doesn’t look too good, but right now it’s beautiful and local.
If you don’t know what to do with an eggplant, I’m here to tell you the best way to make it is roasted, along with a red bell pepper and an onion at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes, turning half way through. Chop it all together with some extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and pepper, and it’s absolutely delicious on crackers or mixed into a pasta.
