As of this Friday, summer has officially arrived! We’re talking pool time, cartwheels in the grass, BBQs, travel, and scrumpdilliumptious produce – I mean berries, asparagus, watermelon, cherries, peaches, leafy greens, green beans, Iowa sweet corn ;), zucchini…. Mmm, I’m salivating.

But even with all of that goodness…this is the time of year I hate being inside and in the kitchen. I get reeeeally lazy – like I don’t want to spend more than 5 minutes putting a meal together lazy. I want to PLAY! And I have the fullest intention doing that this summer. Would you like to join me? I promise I’m really fun.

Honestly though, it’s easy even for me (after nutrition training) to resort to chips & dip, packaged foods, sandwiches, BBQ, take-out, burger runs, handful of this and that, or whatever is quick and easy so that I can get to a pool, play outside, go glamping (glamorous camping), live it up at concerts, get my summer glow, or go rollerblading (yes, I realize that isn’t “cool” anymore).

And I used to default to all those foods…I  mean I used to eat creamsicles and ice cream sandwiches for meals (yes, plural) when I was younger… unfortunately my health ignorance is gone.

So, I’ve wizened up a little with my eating habits, feel a whole hell of a lot better, AND I totally have mastered the art of non-cooking/not-doing-anything in the kitchen quite fabulously.

This little ditty of a love note is me inviting you to get a little lazy AND healthy in the kitchen with me this summer so that you can get outside and LIVE life a little more and not destroy your hot bod. Check out my tips, “recipes”, and summer deliciousness below.

If you have an idea for no-cook/no-do-anything meals, shoot me an email and let me know. I’d love to add it to my list.

Here’s to barefoot on grass, sun-kissed glow, and closing the kitchen down.

Lazy AND Healthy Summer Eating Tips, Tricks, & Deliciousness

We’re keeping this simple with a basic equation. Each meal/snack needs…

You keep that as your base and add whatever else to it (yes, cake, chips, etc. can be added in every now and then as long as you got this basic equation foundation) and you’ll be good to go (for the most part).

So, how can you stock your pantry to make this a no-brainer for you?

Ideas to get you started:

Protein

• Pre-cooked chicken sausages (Applegate farm is a great brand and taste) or full rotisserie chicken
• Lentils (canned and drained OR large batch made at beginning of the week)
• Eggs – hard boiled (takes 7 minutes to make a large batch)
• Pot of quinoa (2 minutes hands-on, 20 minutes cooking)
• Beans (canned and drained OR large batch made at beginning of the week)
• Hummus (store bought or homemade)
• Wild Salmon (seasoned fillets OR lemon pepper and fresh lemon slices)
• Beef jerky or turkey jerky
• Parmesan cheese
• Raw Goat cheese

+

Greens:

• pre-washed greens (baby spinach, arugula, mixed greens, spring mix, etc.),
• leafy greens (kale, romaine, chard, etc.)
• asparagus
• green beans
• cucumbers
• parsley
• broccoli
• zucchini
• artichoke
• peas
• cilantro, etc.

 +

Healthy Fats:

• Eggs – hard boiled
• Wild salmon and cold-water fish
• Nuts & Seeds (whole and creamed into nut butters)
•  Anti-inflammatory oils: hemp, flax, chia seed, and coconut
• Coconut oil & flakes
• Avocados
• Pesto (store bought – check ingredients for no additives)

+

Add-ins & Bonuses:

• Fresh/frozen fruit like berries, cherries, peaches are my favs (also lower in sugar than other fruits, and yes that is a great thing). Tip: wash it as soon as you bring it home and it makes it much more enjoyable to grab-and-go.
• Crunch/Crisp: Brown rice crackers, Mary’s Gone Crackers, Kale Chips, Blue Corn Chips, or Nut Crackers
• Your favorite food.

Meal & Snack Ideas:

• Brown Rice Crackers + Avocado slices + sprinkled sea salt
• Brown Rice Crackers + Chipotle avocado dip (puree 1 avocado with 1 chipotle in adobe sauce in blender plus 2-4 T. water)
• Green Smoothies
• Baked sweet potato (45 minute in oven, top with coconut oil + sea salt
• Quick Coconut Berry Ice Cream (1/3 c. coconut milk, 1/2 c. frozen berries, 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract, stevia or raw honey to taste – mash or blend together and enjoy)
• Plain yogurt with berries, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, vanilla extract, and raw honey or steiva
• Oatmeal – make a pot at the beginning of the week and reheat on the stove (less than 3 minutes) when ready to eat.
• Tartines (open-faced sandwich)
• Favorite Salad: 2 c. arugula, 1 T. truffle oil, 3-4 T. parmesan cheeze, sea salt, and black pepper