We all know that in summer we tend to have a healthier and more varied diet. Is it the sun and long beautiful days that encourage this? Who knows? When people think of summer food, they automatically think of salads and barbecue, but there’s so much more out there. Why not try something different; if you are hosting this summer, be proud to offer your guests something not only different but also healthy.

Meat, meat and more meat!

We Brits love to cook outside on the barbecue as soon as the sun shines. Burgers, hot dogs, ribs and more, try some of these new barbecue ideas this season.

Why not get away from the meat on the barbecue, for something different? Tuna steaks, prawns, salmon, in fact almost any fish is great on the BBQ. Even better, fish doesn’t take as long to cook as a burger, so you can feed people quickly!

Fresh grilled vegetables taste great and vegetarian guests will appreciate the effort as they won’t have to eat salad all day. Plus, they make an excellent side dish. Great barbecue vegetables include asparagus, zucchini, eggplant, corn on the cob, and sweet peppers.

Save the salad!

Who said salad has to be boring? In most cases, bad salad is an afterthought or left untouched. Make it the centerpiece! Put on your clothes! There are a variety of summer salad recipes out there. Use vegetables that you normally would not use. Adding fresh herbs is a great idea to add a depth of flavor to any salad. Try different vegetables like spinach and kale or try adding couscous or pasta.

sauces and dressings

Mayonnaise is not only boring, but it’s bad for you at 100 calories per tablespoon! There are a variety of different salad dressings, try something new. Or make your own.

To make your own salad dressing, you need to combine three parts oil to one part acid (vinegar, lemon juice, etc.). Experiment with different flavored oils, mustard, or yogurt.

Swap out the ketchup on your burger for a homemade dressing or sauce, using fresh tomatoes and a variety of herbs. Find recipes here.

Fresh Desserts

A fruit based dessert is always preferred in the summer. When the weather is warm, a simple Strawberries and Cream Pudding or Summer Fruits will go down like a storm. With such a variety of fruits available, go exotic. Try papaya, mango, passion fruit, and anything else you can get your hands on.

Above all be creative! There’s nothing better than creating something in the kitchen of your own, especially when everyone else loves it as much as you do!