Main tips for a good, nutritious, and safe diet in the summer! Read on to see how you can effectively handle your summer diet!

1. Alcohol consumption

Summer in Greece is beautiful, full of life, social events, and many opportunities for going out. All these activities include alcohol consumption, which can cause some people to worry about their diet. Alcohol contains seven calories per gram and is not a nutrient as it does not provide "nourishment" to our bodies. Nevertheless, some drinks come in a "package" with beneficial substances, such as polyphenols in red wine or B vitamins in beer, etc. Drinking also has a social role in our lives: it entertains us and is a way of connecting and communicating with other people. Official guidelines do not recommend drinking alcohol, but if a person likes to consume it, it is better to choose red wine. Thus, up to 14 units of alcohol per week is considered acceptable. That equates to six 175ml glasses of wine, six 0,5L glasses of beer, fourteen 25ml glasses, or seven 50ml glasses of 'hard' drinks such as whiskey, vodka, or tsipouro. Finally, to be able to easily and quickly understand the energy content of alcoholic beverages we calculate that one can of beer or one glass of wine, or one portion of high-grade alcohol has energy approximately like two slices of bread (30g each).

Tip: If we don't drink alcoholic drinks we don't need to start. What people consume should stay within the limits of the recommendation. Heavy drinkers need to assess this situation in their lives and consider the long-term effects on their health.

2. Ice cream

Summer and ice creams are almost synonymous. Indeed, ice cream is a favorite dessert of many people, and it certainly has its place of honor. It is a light sweet that can also be nutritious, depending on the ingredients and the way of production. Granitas and sorbets are light choices, followed by simple ice cream flavors, such as vanilla, pistachio, and yogurt; then come the most complex ones, such as chocolate, dark chocolate, banoffee, etc., and parfaits. That is logical. Sorbets are mainly composed of fruit sugars. Ice creams are made from milk, sugar, or other sweeteners, cream, and ingredients for flavor, while parfaits have an even more complex preparation.

Tip: We eat ice cream 1-2 times per week. We prefer the ice cream cup. Depending on the appetite, we choose the flavor we like. We choose a cone or ice cream with a waffle, crepe, etc. rarely, as these are more complex options.

3. Fruit consumption

Summer fruits are plentiful and delicious. The recommendation is up to 3-4 fruits per day. When we say "1 fruit" we mean one portion of fruit. What does this mean practically? One fruit equals one of the following: 1 orange, 1 pear, 1 kiwi, 15 grapes, ½ banana, 200g. watermelon, 150g melon, 6-8 strawberries, 2-3 apricots, 1 nectarine, 120g. pineapple, 1 apple, 2 tangerines, ½ pomegranate, 12 cherries, 2 figs, 2-3 dried fruits (plums, apricots, dates), 2 tbsp. raisins, ½ cup natural juice. To dispel the myths: watermelon is not "water", figs are not fattening, and fruit juice cannot replace water.

Tip: We eat as much as the recommendation states. We eat fruit salad, fruit sorbet, smoothies, salads containing fruits, bread with yogurt, and fruits for breakfast. We choose fruit juice rarely.

4. Main meals

When our schedule includes work, going to the beach, a concert, or a walk, we may not eat the daily meals as planned. That is reasonable. However, it is significant not to skip food. A prevailing myth is that we should eat five meals a day, but eating three meals is also ok.

Tip: We don't skip breakfast or whole food groups. We choose easy preparations, such as meal-salad, or pasta with vegetables, or we prepare meals to always have an option in the refrigerator. Finally, we make nutritious choices when out of home for our convenience.

5. Food safety

In summer, high temperatures favor the growth of microorganisms in food. Microorganisms grow on food and change its texture and taste, so we no longer like it when we eat it. If they are pathogenic microorganisms, eating the food can harm us. We are extra careful with the foods we bring as snacks.

Tip: We choose foods resistant to high temperatures, such as fruits, nuts, toast with tahini and honey, cereal bars, tortillas with falafel and vegetables, salad, and dried fruit. We prefer to buy and consume fresh foods sensitive to high temperatures, such as milk, cheese, and meat. We let the cooked food out of the fridge until it arrives at room temperature (maximum 3 hours) and then store it in the refrigerator. We invest in a portable refrigerator or suitable utensils and food storage bags.

Do not forget that the advice provided in the articles is not personalized. Each person is different, has their own NQ, and needs to set unique goals for their diet. Do not hesitate to call me to talk more about your diet. Happy Summer!