Summer is finally here! The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and the beachy tunes can be heard at public pools all over the country.
With summer comes a feeling of freedom, and a desire to relax outdoors, take in the heat, and forget all of our winter woes from the last several months. For some, summer can be a season of extra cocktails or delivery pizza, and by fall, leaves us feeling a little extra bloat around the tummy.
But not you.
Not this time.
Because with more opportunities for fitness from home with tools like Beachbody OnDemand, Peloton, and virtual gym classes, it has never been easier to make exercise a daily priority.
But wait a minute.
Exercise isn’t ALL of it.
In fact, it’s only about 20% of the equation.
The other 80%? Yeah. Nutrition. Womp womp.
The adage that you can outwork a poor diet is absolutely false. You can’t outwork a poor diet. In fact, a poor diet can drag you into the doldrums of hormone imbalance, fatigue, weight gain around the middle, and mood swings. While it might seem fun in the moment, we pay for it later.
But here’s the thing. People assume that healthy people, fit people, don’t have the same temptations and struggles that others do, when in reality, they do! They’ve just learned how to stay in control, to stay away from the diet cycle mentality, and to create a lifestyle that allows for more food flexibility in addition to that daily exercise.
We’ve put together a few of our FAVORITE summer recipes to help you stay on track with your nutrition. Enjoy!
1. Cucumber Tomato Pesto Summer Salad

This makes a SUPERB side dish for your backyard BBQs and grill nights, and it’s one the kiddos will love. Simply combine 1/2 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved, with 1 whole cucumber, sliced, in a medium bowl with 1/2 tsp. sea salt, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, and a spoonful or two of your favorite pesto (Our favorites are Trader Joe’s Vegan Kale, Cashew, Basil Pesto or Whole Foods’ Gotham brand vegan pesto, but any will do). Stir and serve. Easy AND healthy! 1 cup = 1 Green + 1 tsp. on the Portion Fix plan.
2. Grilled Chicken with Berries Summer Salad

Grilled Chicken with Berries Summer Salad — Mix 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1 Tbsp. honey, 1 Tbsp. whole-grain mustard, 2 tsp. garlic, 1 tsp. rosemary, 1 tsp. sea salt, and 1/2 tsp. black pepper into a small bowl. Place 2 tsp. ghee into a skillet on medium heat and place 4 chicken breasts to cook in the ghee, 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Then, add the balsamic mixture to the pan and cook over medium high heat until the chicken is cooked through. Serve chicken breast on 1 cup of mixed greens with 1 cup of sliced strawberries and 1 Orange container of sunflower seeds. 1 salad = 1 Red, 1 Green, 1 Purple, 1 Orange.
3. Jalapeno Cheddar Burgers on Lettuce Bun

Combine 1 lb. lean ground sirloin with 2 small jalapenos, diced with seeds removed, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 tsp. sea salt, and 1/2 tsp. black pepper into multiple 4 oz. patties. Grill until prepared as you wish, and serve on lettuce wrap with 1 slice of tomato, and red onion. 1 burger = 1 Red, 1 Green.
4. Banana Swirl

Kids everywhere go ape for this banana treat (see what I did there?) Simply pre-freeze two bananas, already peeled, in a Ziploc in your freezer. Then, when it’s dessert time, blend them up in a blender with unsweetened coconut milk until smooth like a smoothie, and serve with dark chocolate chips on top (We prefer Enjoy Life brand dark chocolate morsels). It’s like a healthy version of a DQ blizzard, without the refined sugars! This dish serves 4 people and equates to 1 Purple + 1 tsp. + 1/2 Yellow (8 chocolate chips) on the Portion Fix plan.
5. Berry Goodness Bowls

This again is a hit with families everywhere! Measure out 1 cup of sliced strawberries and blueberries and pour into a small bowl. Top with coconut whipped cream (you can make your own by whipping canned coconut milk, or purchase the So Delicious Dairy Free brand). 1 cup of fruit + 1 Blue container of coconut whipped cream = 1 Purple, 1 Blue. (Optional: Add 1 Orange container of shredded coconut).
With these meals, you get ALL the delicious flavors of summer without the yucky feeling. Who doesn’t love burgers, salads, and sweetness when the weather is hot?! We hope you enjoy!
Yours in Health and Fitness,
Your Body Electric Coach