Nourishing Your Body during the Hot Months
Summer has now well and truly arrived as we feel heat kick in and the humidity slowly rising. It’s the perfect time to be outdoors, taking a hike with the family, barbeques with friends and picnics at the beach. South Stream Market has you covered.
Fill up on fresh fruit and vegetables
Whole real foods is so important for our bodies, foods that have been plucked from a tree or picked from the ground are filled with so many beneficial nutrients. Focus on filling up around half your plate with good quality vegetables and a variety of fruit snacks throughout the day. Some great summer choices include: oranges, cherry tomatoes, blueberries, beetroot, sweet corn and pineapple.
Hydration
With the hot temperatures, the body can easily become dehydrated so it’s important to stay hydrated. As tempting as it might be to grab a cold beer, chilled glass of wine or soft drink, these tend to dehydrate us more and fill you up with a whole lot of unwanted calories.
Throughout the day try to take a bottle of cold water with you or spice up your picnics with some fresh lemon/cucumber or strawberry infused water, real coconut water (no sugar added), iced or herbal teas. If you do want to indulge on the weekends with one or two alcoholic drinks, make sure you are well hydrated beforehand.
Try South Stream’s new smoothie range with great flavours including an apple, pear, lychee and coconut juice.
Barbecues and picnics
Gorgeous weather definitely calls for a day out in the sunshine. Planning a healthy meal and snack choices in advance can ensure we stay on track with our health goals whilst still tasting good. Some great food options include: grilled corn on the cob, superfood salad, healthy burgers, grilled chicken strips or fresh fruit skewers.
South Stream Market has you covered when preparing a family picnic or barbecue with friends. Try some of their tasty NZ lamb racks, organic chicken drumsticks or Australian Wagyu beef. Good quality meat just tastes so much better!
Keeping your food safe
Food safety and storage is the key to avoiding foodborne illnesses and bacteria which like to thrive in hot and humid conditions.
Wash your hands properly before touching food and always carry hand sanitizer with you
If you are taking food on a picnic, keep it cool in a chilli bin with an ice pack
Keep raw meat, seafood & poultry wrapped securely to ensure juices don’t contaminate other foods
Try to avoid using the same plate to carry raw and cooked food as well as separately utensils• Cook meats thoroughly when barbecuing and
Rinse all fruit and vegetables well before preparing and cooking them• Prepare food as close as possible to eating time
Don’t leave food out of the fridge for too long before eating
Refrigerate leftovers as soon as possible
If unsure throw any leftovers away, better to be safe than sorry
Want to find out more or ask a question? Click Here to get in touch with Chrissy.