We’re in the middle of summer here now and that means it’s HOT! When it’s so hot outside (and inside!), it can be hard to want to cook or prepare good, nutritious food for yourself or your family. As you listen to your body, you might also find yourself wanting more and more of the fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season during summer’s bounty and simpler foods.
If you’re craving salad, try dressing it up with my simple salad dressing recipe. Meat stock is a great idea for nutrient dense foods year round. In the summer, I like to drink it warm in the morning or as a cool beverage. You can also pop the gel off the top of your meat stock like a cold meat jelly. The recipes below are some more of my suggestions for real, nutrient dense foods to eat when it’s simply too hot to cook. Add your favorites in the comments!
beet kvass
Anyone can make this simple fermented drink! It requires only a few ingredients, and only a few minutes to "put up."
GAPS Milkshake
The GAPS™ milkshake is mix of juice, protein, and fat. Because it is easily digested, usually in about 20 minutes, it can be eaten when you don't have much time to sit and digest.
Vegetable medley
This recipe contains five different vegetables: beets (good for liver and blood cleansing), cabbage (stimulates digestion), carrots (contain vitamin A), and cauliflower (makes it taste better, believe me), and garlic (good for immune support).
Swedish Gravlax
This is a brined fish meal legal on GAPS stage 2. You eat little pieces, one small piece a day.
Guacamole
Enjoy this guacamole with any type of cut up vegetables. I also like it on top of eggs, like an omelette. Pressing it tightly into a container and adding a pit to the top will help it to not turn brown. Off the GAPS diet, enjoy with your canola, soybean and safflower free corn chips! Coconut chips are the best option to buy in stores.
Mayo Free Egg Salad
Eggs are a great non-meat protein source. While I usually recommend eating eggs yolks running to preserve the cholesterol on them, sometimes a hard boiled egg is hard to beat!
You can serve it spread on a romaine lettuce leaf, as shown, or you can use it as a dip for cucumber slices or carrots.. Feel free to use whatever herbs you have in the fridge and experiment to find your favorites.
Carrot Raisin Dessert Salad
While technically a salad, this is a very sweet dish. I recommend consuming it at the end of a meal as a treat. The amount of honey you add will depend on your own personal tastes and how sweet your carrots are.