Healthy Swaps for Summer

As the warm weather is here, our social calendars start to fill with outdoor dining events and picnics on day trips out. While this may bring with it the temptation to eat carb-heavy sandwiches and BBQ burgers, our favourite healthy summer swaps will ensure you still get to enjoy your favourite foods without compromising your health. Keep reading to find out our top tips and swaps, as well as three of our favourite low carb summer recipes.

Healthy summer swaps

As we move through the summer months, it can be difficult to know how to pivot your eating habits to align with your goals whilst enjoying the festivities this season has to offer. These healthy summer swaps are just a few ways you can make minor changes throughout your day to keep you on track.

• Breakfast swaps: Kick your summer days off right by saying goodbye to sugary cereals and carb-heavy toast. Choose instead refreshing Greek yogurt and berry bowls, low-carb protein pancakes and baked avocado and egg recipes for low carb, Mediterranean-style breakfasts.
• Lunch swaps: When you need a convenient lunch during a busy day or you’re headed out for a picnic, ditch the carb-heavy sandwiches and ultra-processed snacks, and instead go for a batch-cooked low carb summer recipe tart, sushi lunch box or a keto-friendly wrap.

• Dinner swaps: Warm evenings go hand in hand with a good barbeque. While traditional barbeques involve processed burgers, sausages and refined white bread buns, swap these out for grilled chicken or fish, non-starchy vegetable skewers, and lettuce or wholemeal wraps. On the side, switch out creamy potato salads and coleslaw for herby Greek-yogurt potato salads and leafy salads.
• Dessert swaps: Swap ultra-processed ice creams or sugary sundaes for full-fat Greek yogurt topped with a handful of fresh berries and a sprinkle of walnuts for added protein. Or if you’re craving an ice lolly, go for a frozen fruit skewer to curb the craving.
• Drinks swaps: If you’re making healthy summer swaps, don’t forget to switch out your unhealthy beverages too. Swap processed fizzy drinks for a fruit-infused sparkling water, and milky iced lattes for an iced black coffee. At social events, rather than going for a sugary fruit cocktail or heavy cider, go for a refreshing red wine spritzer for a lower calorie drink with the added benefit of more antioxidants.

Our top three low carb summer recipes

Keto Quiche Lorraine: Paired with a crunchy, fresh side salad, a quiche Lorraine is a classic summer go-to lunch. Ideal for prepping in advance to take to a summer gathering, this low carb summer recipe can be enjoyed on both fasting and non-fasting days.

Smashed Burger Wraps: If you’re a fan of a BBQ burger, you’ll love this healthy summer swap. These wraps are lower in carbs than a traditional burger, but are rich in flavour and pack in over half your daily recommended protein.

Super Greek Salad: We couldn’t share our favourite low carb summer recipes without including a delicious salad. This one was developed by Matt Williamson in collaboration with The Fast 800 and features all the best elements of a Greek Salad, but super-charged with extra nutrition, and extra flavour!

Hopefully these healthy summer swaps and low carb summer recipes have given you a little inspiration of how to keep this season feeling fresh to support your healthy lifestyle. As we shift towards crisp, abundant Mediterranean-style dishes, ensure to make choices that add nutrition to your diet in favour of ultra-processed, high calorie foods that don’t support your goals.

Sign up for your 7-day free trial of The Fast 800 Programme for access to hundreds of delicious, healthy recipes to enjoy this season, as well as more tips for healthy summer swaps and helpful meal plans tailored to you. Get started today!