The summer has well and truly set in for a lot of us, meaning longer days and hotter evenings. When the air is hot and heavy, you often don’t want a big heavy meal that will be sitting in your stomach for hours, you want something light enough to sate your appetite. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to make your existing favorite recipes a lot lighter. Often, all it takes is a little replacement.
Put it in a taco
If you rely on potstickers or slow cookers to make a slice of delicious meat in marinade or sauce combination, then you might think about what you should serve alongside it. Instead of a heavy, starchy contribution like potatoes or fries, as you might normally use, why not make them into tacos, instead? It’s much less hassle to eat and not to mention prepare. Taco shells, fajita bread, and other wraps are easily bought and added to any kind of saucy meat meal.
Make more delicious veg
One of the easiest recommendations is to replace the starchy and calorie-heavy components of your meals with vegetables. However, while it might make for a lighter meal, it doesn’t make for the most exciting choice in terms of taste. That need not be the case, however. With an air fryer, you can make some pretty delicious glazed and saucy vegetables without getting too greasy. For instance, air-fried cauliflower can make for a filling and easy to eat replacement to go with all manners of meaty mains. It’s much healthier than frying them otherwise, too.
Take a wok
If you’re shopping for new cookware, then make sure you pick up a great wok while you’re out there. Simply put, stir-fries are super easy to make, healthier than otherwise frying your foods, and with egg noodles or even potato noodles, they can be much lighter than you would expect. Extra-virgin olive oil can make the meal much more heart-healthy but if you’re worried about using too much oil, there are plenty of spray-on vegetable oils that still keep the meal flavorful and prevent it from becoming too dry. Great if you got some chicken breasts out in the kitchen that you don’t know what to do with.
What about breakfasts?
We’ve been focusing on dinners for most of this post, but you can’t forget the most important meal of the day. If you want thick porridges, oatmeals, or cereals for your breakfast, then there are other ways to get the fiber and energy that you need. For instance, you can make a gorgeous Greek yogurt bowl with chia seeds for a creamy, light, and very healthy breakfast. If you want a little additional sweetness, then berries are one of the healthiest things that you can add, full to the brim of nutrients and antioxidants.
With the tips above, it shouldn’t be too difficult to adapt your favorite meals to the time of year. There are some that might not suit the weather as well as others, but at least you should always have some options.