The summer months are a great time to make some eating goals a reality. With the right plan, they can be enough to set you on a lifelong path toward better nourishment and health. So, what goals are appropriate for a summer eating challenge? Small goals that reflect foods that are widely available in the summer, or ones that address common summer eating habits. Choosing a goal that doesn’t over-reach also means you’re more likely to achieve it within three months. And that’s what you want, right? Let’s take a look at a few options!
1. A salad a day
Whether it’s your home garden, farmers market, or supermarket, wonderfully fresh produce is everywhere! There’s simply no better time than now to start a salad a day habit. And this goal doesn’t require you to make a whole new salad every day. You can meal prep a delicious salad that will last a few days if stored well. Or, prep a bunch of fresh veggies and try different ways to make your daily salads an easy reality. For example, you may have a chopped Greek salad featuring cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, olives, herbs, and feta cheese one day. Then the next day use the cucumbers and onions for a quick, marinated cucumber dill salad.
Potato salad, different types of coleslaw, and fruit salad also count. Grain-based salads do, too as long as they have plenty of veggies or fruit in them. And don’t forget that you can combine fruits and vegetables into one salad. Sprinkle a few blueberries into your salad. Or toss cubed cantaloupe onto a base of arugula and garnish with a scoop of cottage cheese and chopped pistachios. Being creative with nature’s bounty makes this challenge fun instead of a chore. Want to go even further? Instead of purchasing bottled dressing or dressing mixes, start making your own:
2. Drinking more water
Adequate hydration is always a health priority, for lots of reasons. But as the temps climb, it becomes even more important. In general, your thirst is a good guide to how much water you need. If you’re active outdoors or spending time in the sun, however, you’ll need more fluids than usual. And drinking more soda, fruit juices, or especially adult beverages is not the answer.
Your goal, should you choose this challenge, is to consume more water. Some of that can be seltzer—the key is training yourself to make water your primary beverage. While you’re at it, try jazzing up your H2O to make what I call “fancy water.” Use fruits, vegetables or fresh herbs to infuse it with flavor. Or amp up the refreshment factor by using frozen fruit as ice cubes. For ideas on how to keep your new water habit interesting, check out this post. And with Guiding Stars’ new Beverage Algorithm, there are lots of star-earning beverage choices to choose from—including various waters.
3. Make your desserts fruit-focused
Decadent sweet treats abound during the summer—hello s’mores! But there are also fruit-based alternatives that can be equally tasty—and of course, more nutritious. Why not challenge yourself to create or eat mostly fruity treats for the next few months? It’s surprisingly easy to do this time of year! Here are a few examples of fruit-forward desserts that are perfect for summer:
- Pies, galettes, and tarts
- Fruit salad or fruit kebabs and dip
- Fruit-topped shortcake
- Homemade fruity ice pops
- Cobblers, crumbles, and crisps
- Sorbet or granita
- Banana-based “nice” cream
- Pavlova (meringue “cake” topped with fruit)
Is nutrition even higher on your priority list? You can easily adjust ingredients in many of these options to bump up fiber or cut saturated fat or sugar. For some lower-sugar baking tips, check these two previous posts.