The ultimate healthy summer meal plan

Source: Web exclusive, June 2010

There’s no denying that summertime is a great opportunity to get together with friends and enjoy some classic BBQ fare. But if you’re trying to stick to a healthy eating plan, even the most delicious grilled burgers can get boring after a while. If you’re looking to add a little more variety to your summer meal plan, here are a few tasty recipes to try.

Breakfasts

Peach Breakfast Crostini
Fresh peaches and berries with a hint of maple syrup and fresh mint rest on a canapé of cream cheese, making a lovely light brunch or dessert.

Red and Green Frittata
Eggs have protein and iron, important nutrients for fertility. Broccoli is a good source of folate and fibre. This baked frittata, full of colourful vegetables, is a delicious way to eat them, for brunch or a light lunch or supper.

Grapefruit-Glazed Bran Muffins
Grab one of these wholesome muffins for a heart-healthy start to your day

Salads

Lightened-Up Creamy Caesar Salad
Caesar salad is often made with a mayonnaise-based dressing. My version uses low-fat yogurt and fat-free sour cream, which limits the fat in this classic recipe.

Citrus and Spinach Salad
Fresh leaf spinach pairs well with citrus fruits, melon and prosciutto. Here the spinach is tossed with the fruits and their juices and then drizzled with a creamy and sweet balsamic dressing. A little prosciutto is used to top the salad, so you get the flavour without adding too much fat!

Watermelon and Feta Salad
In this salad, the salty tang of creamy feta cheese contrasts with pieces of sweet watermelon and juicy golden nectarines. A mix of arugula, endive and leaf lettuce adds a slightly peppery taste, while the toasted pumpkin seeds give it a nice crunch.

Quinoa Salad with Mango and Walnuts
Quick-cooking quinoa is combined with mango, red pepper and walnuts for a tasty, healthful salad.

Avocado and Shrimp Salad
Zesty lime juice dresses creamy avocados, shrimp and sweet tropical fruit. Fresh and fragrant, this salad is great served as a side with poultry or fish.

Appetizers

Artichoke Dip
This creamy dip is similar in texture to guacamole. It’s great as an appetizer spread on whole-grain crackers, or as a dip for vege­tables. Try it warmed or add it to mashed potatoes for a side dish with a garlicky twist.

The Coup’s Balsamic Eggplant Dip
Try this delicoius vegetarian eggplant dip recipe from Calgary restaurant The Coup

Fig and Walnut Amuse-Bouche
For a simple yet stunning appetizer, these bite-sized morsels are incredibly delicious. The combination of fresh figs, prosciutto, Gorgonzola cheese and walnuts is exceptionally good.

Kid-friendly Turkey Sausage Rolls with Mango Chutney
Kids love these simple sausage rolls. Using turkey sausage meat instead of pork sausage helps keep the fat content down

Smoked Trout Spread
We made our own mayonnaise for this smoked trout spread using local oil, but you could use yogurt instead.

Mains

Corn and Swiss Chard Sauté
"Fearless in the Kitchen" host, Christine Cushing, shares her recipe for a light summer dinner that’s bursting with colour and flavour.

Simply Steamed Island Blue Mussels with Three Different Flavours
Mussels are super simple to cook and travel with their own built-in sauce base. They’re easy to steam and when you do, they release a flavourful broth that many connoisseurs swear is the best part.

Vegetarian Sloppy Joes
This vegetarian redux of comfort food classic Sloppy Joes uses crumbled firm tofu as a protein-rich base.

Grilled Salmon in Ciabatta
Here fresh salmon fillets are marinated, then lightly grilled and served in warm ciabatta rolls with mixed salad leaves and a basil mayonnaise, to create a very tempting and special lunch dish. Using light mayonnaise and yogurt reduces the fat without losing any of the creaminess.

The Grill of My Dreams
This healthy recipe from Janet and Greta Podleski is sure to be a crowd pleaser at your next summer barbecue. Make this grilled pork tenderloin masterpiece in the summer when peppers are fresh and you can’t stand the heat in the kitchen.

Chicken Yakitori
These delicious Japanese-style bites of chicken speared with green bell pepper and scallions can be assembled in advance and then grilled just before serving. For the best flavour, leave the chicken to marinate for several hours or overnight, and remember to soak the skewers first so they do not burn under the grill.

Desserts

Berry Salad with Passion Fruit
Tart, sweet and juicy, berries come in many varieties’from bright and delicate raspberries to sweet strawberries; from plump little blueberries to rich, fragrant blackberries. Fresh-squeezed passion-fruit juice adds a tart edge to the berries in this salad.

Raw Pecan Pie
Skip the refined sugars and flours in favour of nuts, coconut, dates and raisins in this raw version of classic pecan pie.

Apple Walnut Granita
Serve this frozen dessert as a refreshing course after a heavy dinner.

Dairy-Free Chocolate Mousse
Cutting out dairy doesn’t have to mean cutting out delicious, decadent desserts. Use the highest-quality dark chocolate for the best flavour in this tofu-based chocolate mousse.

Double Raspberry Sorbet
Go ahead, raspberry lovers, take a bite. This velvety-smooth raspberry sorbet and rich sauce give you a double dose of your favourite fruit’and you can make it from frozen raspberries any time of year.

Drinks

Peach Iced Tea
We drink gallons of iced tea year-round, and like most southerners, we drink it sweet. But in the summer months we add sunny-syrupy flavor by stirring in peaches that we’ve liquefied in a blender.

Cherry Red Eye Mojito
This drink is an eye-catching twist on the classic mojito, perfect for cocktail hour or special occasion entertaining. It’s also heart-healthy, thanks to its use of antioxidant-rich cherry juice.

Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie
This refreshing strawberry yogurt smoothie takes only a few minutes to prepare, and is ideal as a nourishing start to the day.

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