Summer Snacking

 Many things can inspire a person to eat–atmosphere, social conduct or the most common, hunger. Heat, however, has the opposite effect. When the weather is past the triple digits, as it often is in the Santa Clarita Valley, it is difficult to find anything to eat.  But there are a multitude of foods that are not only refreshing, but are actually complemented by the heat.
Spicy food can be described as “hot,” so why eat something described as such on a warm day?  The answer is sweat.  Spicy food causes a person to sweat, sweat cools the body down, therefore in the long run spicy food will end up chilling you down significantly.
Cold Noodle dishes are another food that is complementary to a hot day.  The crisp noodles cool down the entire body as they are eaten while packing good nutrients into the body.
Smoothies are a classic summer snack– and for good reason.  The fruit mixed with ice is healthier than eating ice cream, but gives the same cooling affect.
Soup and salad, when prepared specifically for the summer, can make your mouth water.  Lettuce is full of H2O, and therefore incredibly hydrating.  And an iced soup such as cucumber soup or gazpacho are wonderfully cool and refreshing.
Raw foods with high water content are always the way to go in the summer, for they are healthy, full of nutrients, and above all tasty.  Here is a list of hydrating fruits and vegetables that would each make a wonderfully refreshing snack in the summer:
1. Cucumber – 96 percent water
2. Celery –  95 percent water
3. Radishes – 95 percent water
4. Tomatoes – 94 percent water
5. Watermelon – 92 percent water
6. Bell Pepper – 92 percent water
7. Arugula – 91 percent water
8. Grapefruit – 91 percent water
9. Broccoli – 91 percent water
10. Berries – 85 percent water
One way to incorporate these foods into your summer days is by making them look appetizing.  With the Fourth of July coming up there is a quick, easy way to transform a watermelon into a beautiful centerpiece full of other summer fruits.  Simply hollow out the melon, use a sharp knife to shape the fruit into whatever you desire (stars, chevron, fireworks, see Pinterest for more ideas) but leave a bowl-like hole in it.  After your carving is complete you can cut the rest of fruit however you wish and place it in the new, beautiful, patriotic bowl.