Healthier Summer Holidays: a Whole Food Plant-Based Menu Tips

Summer is all about light, healthy, outdoor eating. It’s about celebrating the bountiful summer harvest of vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini, corn, and cucumbers, and summer fruits like peaches, melons, and berries. It’s about growing a few vegetables on your own. It’s about spending time at the table with people you love.

According to Dr. Greger, “When it comes to assessing which dishes to choose, the question isn’t whether sides are healthy or unhealthy, but whether they are more or less healthy when compared with another option. It is about making the best choices possible and including an abundance of vegetables and fruits on your plate.”

Summer Holiday Menu and tips:
1. Grow your own carrots, peppers, herbs, red onions and potatoes. Add a creamy mustard mayo dressing for a delicious confetti salad.
2. What about creating a plant-based salsa by adding corn, green onions, cilantro, black olives and jalapenos to make a delicious companion for veggie burgers, lentil patties, veggie “meat” balls, tacos, burritos and sandwiches.
3. Your summer table cannot go without tomato, arugula, olive oil, pine nuts, basil, and balsamic vinegar for a perfect plant-based salad.
4. Toasting the cooked orzo in the skillet of colorful summer vegetables not only adds an extra dose of flavor to the meal, it ensures you’ve got just the right amount of texture in every bite.
5. Black beans make these burgers taste substantial and satisfying. If you want to bulk them up even more, you can stir some chopped mushrooms into the mix.
6. For a satisfying dinner salad that won’t leave you reaching for frozen pizza in an hour, start with some protein-rich chickpeas. These toothsome legumes are the base for a fresh and versatile chopped salad.
7. There is no better way to tackle pasta night during the summer months than with this simple and elegant meal. Herby pesto, spinach, and a squeeze of lemon juice come together to keep it fresh, and the chopped almond topping adds crunch.

Try to avoid too many starchy vegetables but enjoy the bountiful selection of fruit and a wonderful summer holiday!