What’s for Dinner? Meal Ideas Featuring Healthy Summer Foods

Summertime is here. The sun is shining, and people can’t seem to stop smiling. Long days are filled with outdoor activities that offer you the chance to soak up every bit of nice weather. Farmer’s markets are an especially popular weekend activity during the summer months, offering you the chance to pick out the best seasonal produce.

Many popular warm-weather foods are nutritionally dense, meaning they’re packed full of the vitamins and nutrients you need to remain healthy. We at Crestwood Manor have pulled together this list of healthy, tasty dinner recipes highlighting summertime ingredients.

Light Summer Dinner Recipes

Pork and Balsamic Strawberry Salad: Dinner salads are a light option for the summer, easily enjoyed while sitting on your outdoor patio with a refreshing glass of iced tea or pinot grigio. Adding pork as the protein in this meal makes for a hearty salad that will satisfy your hunger. And, the addition of seasonal strawberries offers health benefits including improved cardiovascular health, a strengthened immune system, and enhanced brain health.

Stuffed Peppers: This healthy recipe from the American Heart Association is a lighter version of the traditional stuffed pepper that still offers delicious flavor. Bell peppers are in season during warm, summer months and are loaded with vitamins and minerals. In fact, one medium-sized red bell pepper provides 169% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C – that’s more than you’ll find in an orange.

Roasted Chicken with Peach Chutney: This easy roasted chicken recipe is the perfect dinner to have when inviting over family and friends. Peaches are particularity ripe and flavorful from mid-May to mid-August. This low-calorie, juicy indulgence is a great source of vitamin C, which helps build connective tissue and strengthens the immune system.

Fresh Corn Cakes with Summer Salsa: This quick entrée is packed with seasonal produce. Corn, yellow squash and tomatoes make this vegetarian corn cake dish, offering nutrient-rich ingredients bursting with flavor. Tomatoes alone are a great source of vitamin C and potassium, which is important for those suffering from a potassium deficiency sometimes brought on by blood pressure medications.

Eggplant Lasagna: Eggplant serves as a replacement for noodles in this low-carb, light twist on lasagna. Seasonal produce in this dish includes eggplant and basil – eggplants are high in antioxidants and are a nutrient-dense food, meaning they contain a significant number of vitamins, minerals, and fiber in few calories. Basil is a fragrant herb that can be used in the treatment of arthritis thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties and is rich in vitamins A, K and C, magnesium, iron, potassium, and calcium.

Delight in Healthy Meals All Year at Crestwood Manor

Our commitment to health and quality is far-reaching and is especially apparent in our dining options. The dining team at Crestwood Manor ensures each meal is a tasty experience featuring seasonal, nutritionally beneficial ingredients. We’d love for you to see for yourself and join us for a meal –contact us today to schedule your personal tour.