What to Eat When It’s Just Too Hot

The building blocks of a balanced meal are protein + veggies + carbs + healthy fat, but when it's 100 degrees outside, sometimes it just feels too hot to eat, let alone cook. 

Even though we might not have an appetite or any desire to prep or eat, we still need nutrients. So what do we do?

Keep it simple. And keep it cold. 

Hot Weather Meal Ideas

• Make your own charcuterie board. Cheese, pepperoni, salami, olives, sun dried tomatoes, nuts, grapes, hummus... It's no cook, minimal prep, and best served chilled. Get creative. 
   

• Salads (not just green ones)! You can start with a base of greens and add your protein, veggies and/or fruit, cheese, nuts, etc. Or you can do a pasta, grain, or potato salad with some protein (pepperoni, egg, bacon) and veggies added in. OR you make the protein your base — shrimp, chicken, egg, ham, tuna, or bean salad. 
   

• Hearty dips & dippers. Hummus, baba ganoush, salsa, and guacamole all provide great plant-based nutrients, and you can increase the nutrition value by using cut veggies to scoop the dip (or just to have alongside). They’re not as high in protein as some other options, but sometimes they’re just right for a hot day. 
   

• Rotisserie chicken. It's great for making a chicken salad or for adding chicken to one of your other salads without actually having to cook the chicken yourself. 
   

• Sandwiches. If you want to elevate them from brown bag lunch to nice dinner, use really good bread, maybe toast it, choose fancy cheese and meat, and add things like pesto, roasted red peppers, etc. Or don't. There's nothing wrong with having a PB&J or a tomato sandwich and calling it a meal. 
   

• Smoothies. (Yes, you can absolutely have these at any meal, any time of day. You're a grown up. You make the rules.) You can bulk these up as much or as little as you'd like. They're a great way to get protein and fruit that's cold and requires zero cooking or chewing. Need ideas? Check out Precision Nutrition's Super Shake guide. 
   

• Greek yogurt parfaits. The Greek yogurt gives you protein, and you can add whatever fruit, nuts, granola, cereal, or other toppings you like for optimal flavor and crunch. 
   

• Overnight oats. It takes a little prep work, but it can be as simple as oats + milk (dairy or non-dairy). You can add chia seeds, flax seeds, fruit, nuts, granola, sweeteners, but it's a great no-cook breakfast option for those mornings when it's already 85 degrees at 7 a.m. 

What are YOUR go-to food choices when it's just too hot outside? Email jchcoaching@gmail.com and I’ll add your best suggestions to the list!