Amidst humid conditions, school vacations, long afternoons, blazing sun, and scorching winds: summertime is a great opportunity to stay indoors and get more time to socialize and have fun with your friends and family.
Between margarita-filled happy hours and weekend barbecues, summer is an exceptional time to feel alive. However, if you are trying to lose weight, you feel like hiding like a hermit to avoid all the temptation-rich and high-calorie food or indulge in binge eating to an extent than your weight-loss plan gets severely derailed.
Well, you don’t really have to overindulge.
However, summer is a great time to savor delicious food and you surely have plenty of options that are delectable, fresh, and revitalizing.
Vegetable-based, chilled soups are generally a great source of dietary fiber, an essential macronutrient that is scientifically proven and widely preferred for cutting down your total calorie intake along with reducing the appetite(1), thereby playing a vital role in supporting your weight-loss plan over a period of time.
Since soups are typically prepared from water that’s absolutely calorie-free, you can easily consume a large quantity — which tends to satisfy your belly — for a decent number of calories without adding much fat.
Though it depends on the recipe and other ingredients, two cups of a tomato-based gazpacho only pack 100 calories.
This amazing summer staple is not only just delicious, but it is also packed with tremendous health benefits. Watermelon consists of a particular type of dietary fiber that tends to easily bind with and carry fat out of your body, hence proving extremely beneficial for weight-conscious individuals.
And, it gets even better.
Watermelon also consists of a high percentage of calorie-free water, which aids in keeping you hydrated and can, therefore, cut down on your daily calorie eating along with keeping your appetite in control.
As per several studies, one medium cup of watermelon consists of fewer calories as compared to any other summer fruit.
[Read: Benefits of Watermelon]
Similar to many summer fruits, strawberries are a great source of fiber and several other vital nutrients. However, they are also one of the most low-calorie summer fruits available — moreover, they are extremely easier to manage as compared to a whole watermelon when you step out to shop for fruits.
Zucchini offers a wide range of health benefits, nutrients, and characteristics — such as being exceedingly low in calorie count — however, its USP is to stand as a replacement for pasta.
Simply spiral it and sauté, or use it as an alternative for noodles in your regular pasta recipe. The charm of spiralizing will leave you spellbound. Same cooking time, same flavor, perhaps better taste, more nutrition – but, far less calorie count. Isn’t that fab?
You may even core and stuff the squash with your other vegetables and grains for a nutritious and low-calorie meal.
Kale doesn’t necessarily need an introduction – it is already one of the most preferred salad staples for us in scorching summer. But did you know this extremely beneficial and nutrition-rich green vegetable can even be used for adding a dense dose of fiber to your favorite Greek yogurt-based smoothies?
This delectable combo makes a refreshing and super-filling summer snack that has the potential to kick aside your frequent urge for calorie-dense snacks.
[Read: Health Benefits of Kale Juice]
Fill up your BBQ plate with grilled veggies this summer. Grilled vegetables pack low fat and calories. Also, they are an excellent source of fiber that boosts your metabolism to avoid overeating. Try this healthy, nutritious, and low-calorie veggie to shed those extra pounds this summer.
Various studies have proved that one of the easiest ways to eat and manage weight is to add lean protein to your daily meal. It is scientifically proven that just digesting proteins can make your body burn a lot of calories.
As such, grilled fish is an ideal source of summertime protein since it is leaner and lighter than, perhaps, a steak.
Rich protein sources such as steak are more likely to stick around in your tummy forever – which will definitely make you feel full, but won’t make you feel comfortable and agile in the heat.
This summer, put your money on fish! Fish is a fantastic source of omega-3 oil that is proven to help reduce your belly fat when combined with a proper and disciplined weight-loss program.
Cherries have forever been one of the most preferred summer superfoods that offer a delectable taste along with a long list of nutrients.
Cherries are packed with resveratrol, an effective antioxidant(2) that has the potential to bring about some serious and drastic body transformation.
In a study carried out at the Washington State University, the researchers found that high doses of resveratrol have the potential to transform excess white fat into brown fat, hence increasing the metabolism and helping you burn more calories to lose weight or keep it under control.
In another research at the University of Georgia, the researchers found that taking resveratrol supplements also proved effective in controlling body weight.
[Also Read: How to Lose Weight]
Say no to burgers this summer, you grillers! Let the magical and utterly beneficial Portobello Mushrooms be your first choice.
A low-fat, flavorsome alternative to meat that tends to pair well with almost all heart-healthy ingredients such as olive oil and garlic, the portobello mushroom is magnificent for your taste buds – well, in fact, it is equally better for your waistline.
In a recent study conducted by the Department of Nutrition Science at the University of Buffalo, the researchers found that portobello mushrooms are extremely efficient at stabilizing the blood sugar levels along with minimizing insulin spikes, thus keeping the food cravings at bay and helping you shed those unwanted pounds naturally.
Cool as a cucumber! Stay cool this summer by adding this crunchy veggie to your daily snacks or main course meals.
This super-hydrating veggie is extremely low in calories, packed with anti-inflammation antioxidants, and has the potential to keep your risk of hypertension at bay.
Indonesian researchers recently discovered a substantial decrease in blood pressure amongst elderly women who supplemented their diet with cucumber juice for several weeks at a stretch, indicating that this scrumptious veggie may also come handy to increase your life expectancy. And who will say no to that?
[Read: Benefits of Cucumber Juice]
Ceviche is a fantastic choice during those hot, humid, and brooding summer nights when you hope for an easy and quick meal but are laboring to overlook the temptation of all those takeout menu flyers lurking in your pantry drawer.
Here’s your chance to try a blend of citrus and omega-3-rich fish, which works wonders to satisfy your tummy along with combatting different types of inflammations and preventing severe cardiovascular disorders, is a fantastic and calorie-conscious solution to gratify your hunger.
And it gets even better; various studies suggest that the lime juice and spicy peppers used for flavoring this mouth-watering Latin American cuisine can even help you lose weight.
A study published recently in the British Journal of Nutrition found that capsaicin, an active compound found in chili pepper, helps obese people lose considerably more fat as compared to those who opt for a placebo.
Undoubtedly, summers can’t come and go without avocado. Avocado’s unique mix of fiber and healthy fats give it a special place on this list of top summer foods to lose weight.
Note: Dietary fat tends to slow down digestion and, therefore, you end up consuming far more calories than required by your body.
What if we tell you that one cup of these delectable raspberries consists of less sugar than almost all other summer berries? Not to forget the loads of fiber and antioxidants they provide you with. Less or no sugar means you won’t feel like eating again shortly.
Beat the heat this summer by opting for some fresh whipped up salsa and, rest assured, you won’t be disappointed.
Combining metabolism-revving jalapeños with weight loss-promoting citrus and adding antioxidant-rich onions to it, salsa is already a powerhouse of vital minerals, vitamins, and other essential nutrients.
But there’s much more to it. The main component of salsa, i.e. the tomato, is simply the best of the lot.
A recent study carried out at the Harvard School of Public Health found that lycopene, a special pigment that provides tomatoes their distinctive color, can prove extremely effective in lowering the risk of stroke up to 55 percent. Adding to it are salsa’s tremendous low-calorie and high-fiber properties and – what else can you ask for?
Summer is a great time to stay indoors, plan get-togethers, socialize, and have fun! While socializing is closely related to tempting foods, your weight-loss program shouldn’t really suffer as there are options aplenty for you to keep your tummy satisfied, taste buds enthralled, and body weight under control.
Try these 14 best summer foods for weight loss and we’re confident you’ll surely relish each one of them!