Healthy Eating Tips for Summer

Summer is chock full of outdoor barbecues, carnival funnel cakes, and endless scoops of boardwalk ice cream. With so many delicious summer treats, it can be challenging to incorporate great Indianapolis nutrition in these warmer months. However, the staff at our Indianapolis chiropractic and wellness clinic has stirred up a few tips for healthy summer eating.

Find out which summer foods you should steer clear of this June, July, and August, and discover better options from which to choose to maximize both your summer nutrition and warm weather fun!

Summer Foods to Watch Out For

Hot dogs. Many kinds of hot dogs are high in fat, sodium, and calories. Avoid the jumbo or foot-long dogs and opt for the regular-sized hot dog if you must, which has roughly 280 calories. Limit yourself to just one please.

Frozen cocktails. Those pina coladas sure are tasty, but they are loaded in calories. Just one pina colada has over 600 calories. And a margarita doesn't fare any better. A large frozen margarita can set you back 900 calories. Instead, if you're drinking alcohol, choose a mojito, which has around 200 calories on average.

Funnel Cakes. A regular sized funnel cake has over 600 calories. If you must have a funnel cake, order a small one. Or, better yet, share one with a group of people.

Healthy Summer Food Choices

Vegetables. Many organic vegetables are available at your local farmer's market. Grilled vegetables are tasty and healthy, but avoid adding too much butter or high-fat cooking oil.

Fish. Fish like salmon, mahi-mahi, and halibut taste great on the grill and are a healthy alternative to high-fat burgers.

Chicken. Grilled chicken breasts or chicken tenders are another healthy alternative to sodium-rich hot dogs and fat-laden burgers.

Fruit.  Pineapple is a perfect complement to lean, grilled pork kabobs to contribute to your summer wellness lifestyle. When the heat is on, whip up a frozen fruit and yogurt smoothie for a healthy cool treat. 

While we always encourage patients to make smart food choices, there is more that we can do to help with your overall health. Dr. Bax offers help in balancing your blood chemistry. The types of foods, minerals, and vitamins we ingest greatly contribute to how we feel. We use a tool in our chiropractic office to understand your physiology so we can address any biochemical deficiencies and nutritional inadequacies. Once we have determined what the imbalances are, we can prescribe lifestyle or nutritional changes to help balance your blood chemistry and help you feel better. Call us to find out more information about how this works.

What are your favorite healthy summer recipes?