10 Delicious Summer Snack Ideas
Let’s shake up the summer snack routine with some fun new ideas!
But before we get to them, remember that gentle nutrition is meant to be flexible. It’s enjoyable, which means it includes foods you love. It focuses on ADDITION, not subtraction, restriction, or avoidance. Most importantly, gentle nutrition is sustainable and should enrich your life.
If your approach to healthy eating, dieting, or nutrition itself is causing you stress, frustration, guilt, or overwhelm… that’s not gentle. And will very likely lead to on again/off again approaches to your eating and health habits that not only leave you frustrated, but detract from your overall health and wellbeing as well.
So, with that in mind, you’ll see that this list includes plenty of carbs, dairy, fruit, and other foods that diet culture loves to bash. Consider this another friendly reminder that all foods really can fit in a healthful, balanced, delicious diet.
Here are your new summer snacking ideas:
Watermelon and feta salad with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and fresh mint or basil (or even better, balsamic reduction sauce; here's a link to my favorite one).
Greek salad skewers: thread olives, squares of feta, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes on a skewer and drizzle with your favorite Greek salad dressing.
Steamed edamame sprinkled with everything-but-the-bagel seasoning
Hard-boiled eggs, halved, and topped with a smear of Dijon mustard and a sprinkle of chives. Add a side of whole grain crackers to round it out.
Tzatziki sauce and whole wheat pita chips or raw veggies for dipping (you'll find a recipe for homemade tzatziki and a bonus salad recipe here, but you can also buy it pre-made).
Sliced peaches topped with ricotta cheese and drizzled with honey. Or smear the ricotta on toast and top with peaches and honey.
Try this cowboy caviar recipe from Cookie and Kate with tortilla chips or crackers.
Smoothies hit the spot when the heat kicks up. Here are some of my favorite combos.
Melon balls wrapped in prosciutto. Yum!
Make a layered hummus dip—spread your favorite hummus across a shallow dish and top with cucumber chunks, diced tomatoes, red peppers, olives, marinated artichoke hearts, sliced green onions, or whatever else you’d like. Serve with crackers or pita chips!
Happy start to summer!
PS: If you want help eating what you love without guilt, stress, or overwhelm—even as you enhance your health and wellbeing with enjoyable health-promoting habits and body image healing—click here and sign up for a FREE “Intro to Intuitive Eating” Strategy call now.