"Antò, it's hot, " read an old ad. And now it's really hot .
Fans, cold showers, air conditioning, parks in the shade: we try them all to find some refreshment ; we eat slush and ice lollies and ice creams, blissfully oblivious to the calorie count.
Are there healthier alternatives ? Maybe yes. Take a look at these 15 most refreshing foods against the heat .
Against the heat, here are the 15 most refreshing foods
1. Black cranberries
Delicious, summer fruits (July and August), blueberries are rich in anthocyanins and vitamins.
Add them to your fruit salads, dare them in a sweet salad, use their juice to make popsicles at home . Refresh, they are good for circulation, sight, liver and intestines. And they are very good, what do you want more?
Refreshing centrifuges to fight the heat
2. Eggplant
Don't immediately think of Parmesan, though. That is not true. Enjoy them on the grill, or cook them and use them to dress a wholemeal pasta salad, with a touch of EVO oil and spices to taste.
Aubergines contain vitamins and minerals, have antioxidant and purifying properties. They are a summer vegetable, found in June and July.
3. Tomatoes
Seasonal, from June to October, tomatoes are the uncontested kings of our summer tables .
Rich in vitamins and lycopene , a powerful antioxidant, they are refreshing and healthy. Add them to your vegetable salads, or rice or pasta, or take them to the beach as a snack (instead of ice cream ...).
4. Asparagus
They are very much or very little, given their particular flavor, asparagus is rich in fiber, water and minerals, they have a diuretic effect. They are in season in May and June. Blanch them and use them for rice salads or whole wheat pasta, or with eggs, as usual.
5. Zucchini
In season from May to October, the courgettes are rich in water and vitamins. Refreshing, they will brighten up your table as a vegetable, or as a condiment for a cold wholemeal pasta, together with tofu or ricotta.
For those wishing to try, the refreshing effect is guaranteed by raw zucchini noodles .
6. Green beans
Green beans are in season from May to September . Rich in minerals, water and fiber, they also have few calories .
Blanch them and add them to your salads, or with potatoes and trofie, and an excellent fresh pesto.
7. Melon
In season from July to September, the melon has always occupied our summer tables, accompanying fruit salads, cereal salads and vegetables, and sometimes even a few slices of raw ham.
Rich in water and low in calories, children and their mothers will always like it on a diet.
8. Peaches
Except in particular cases of allergies, for which particular attention must be paid to the "hairy" skin, peaches are rich in water and vitamins .
Use them for an innovative salad, with fennel and "Iceberg", or in fruit salads. Take them as a snack on the beach, combining them with some almonds.
9. Watermelon
Those of my age certainly remember the summer evenings spent looking for refreshment in the " anguriere ".
Fresh, rich in water (95%), sweet and colorful, the slices of watermelon will be an excellent end of the meal, or a healthy and natural substitute for industrial ice lollies.
10. Cucumber
The Greeks already know this and have always used cucumbers to freshen up their recipes : and from there it is very hot.
Cucumbers have a high water content, which makes them even suitable for refreshing applications on the skin .
Use them to make purifying centrifuges, add them to your salad with tomatoes and feta, risky new combinations to make tasty sauces.
Try the refreshing cucumber recipes
11. Grapefruit
Grapefruit is not exactly in season, but it is very rich in water, minerals and vitamins, it is an excellent thirst quencher and an unusual ingredient for summer salads: have you already tried pink grapefruit together with raw fennel ?
12. Lemon
It is now found in any season. Everything has been said , purifying, vitaminic, refreshing, of lemon .
Use it to flavor home-made iced water or tea and sweetened with stevia. Or dare to add it, in chunks, to your rice salads .
13. Celery
You will become very nice if you are on a diet, because by eating it you consume more calories than it provides
Celery, rich in minerals, fiber and water, will go well with a salad with walnuts, or in a colorful pinzimonio as a healthy appetizer.
14. Lettuce
The green salad richest in water, from some stomachs digested badly due to the many fibers.
Lettuce, excellent " dish companion" of tomatoes, celery and cucumbers to compose a highly refreshing and purifying salad, to which you will add seeds, walnuts, EVO oil for a unique vegan and healthy dish, to combine with wholemeal bread and a fruit .
15. Strawberries
Very few calories, 91% of water. Purifying, colorful and good, strawberries will be an excellent snack or breakfast, along with yogurt, or a very sweet dessert after a meal. Or a new ingredient for a fresh risotto . To you the choice.
