5 Superfoods To Beat the Heat This Summer

Hello, Summer! With summer solstice passing on June 21, summer is officially here. And along comes long days, “dog day afternoons,” and short nights. To stay full of energy during the long summer days, you need more nutrients in your diet. Hence, we bring to you five super-healthy superfoods you need to stay active all summer long.

Superfoods are nutrient-rich food like grains, seeds, spices, fruits, and vegetables, or even a beverage is considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being. In light of the above, let’s get started with these five superfoods that are worthy of the title and will help you beat the heat this summer.

1) Legumes

Legumes are especially beneficial in the summer since they are high in dietary fiber that helps to keep your energy levels more stable and reduce fatigue. With other nutrients, such as protein and vitamins, being in abundance in legumes such as garbanzo beans(aka chickpeas), kidney beans, and lentils, it can help you maintain your energy that you otherwise lose in summer sweats.

You can consume legumes in many different ways - make garbanzo-beans salad, lentil soup, lentil hummus, or eat curried kidney beans with Basmati rice. Try any way you want, and you will not be disappointed. Here are some easy and quick recipes to make full use of legumes:

Garbanzo-Beans Salad with Onion & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Recipe:

• In a medium bowl, mix ¼ cup red wine vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil, & 2 cloves minced garlic.
• Add 3 cups cooked Pride of India Garbanzo Beans, ¼ cup diced onion, ¼ cup diced sun-dried tomatoes, 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley, & ½ tsp Pride of India Himalayan Pink Salt.
• Fold & marinate for 1 hr.

Eat fresh!

Brown Lentil Soup

Recipe:

• Soak lentils for 15-20 minutes.
• Rinse thoroughly and drain water.
• Add 3 cups of water per 1 cup of dry lentils in a wide pot. Add in some chopped carrots, diced onions, and tomatoes, and heat on low uncovered.
• Once the water is at the level of the lentils, cover the pot.
• Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes.

Serve hot or cold.

2) Super Seeds

Seeds such as chia, flax, sesame, and fennelare nutrient-rich and act as a good source of fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, making them a worthy contender of being a superfood.

Here is a simple and easy recipe to get you started that you’ll love to include in your diet.

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

Recipe:

• Add ¼ cup of our Cacao Powder, 4 tbsp maple syrup, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, a pinch of our Himalayan Pink Salt, and ½ tsp vanilla to a bowl. Give it a whisk.
• Add 1½ cup light coconut milk and whisk again.
• Add ½ cup of our Chia Seeds; whisk to combine well.
• Cover and refrigerate for 5 hrs.

Top with raspberries & nuts for an even extra boost. Serve cold.

Protip: You can eat fennel seeds after your meal as a mouth freshener, and absorb all the healthy nutrients it has to offer.

3) Quinoa

Quinoa - white, red, or tricolor - is the superfood we all deserve and need. Popularly known as “the mother of grains,” it is, botanically speaking, a seed. Add this superfood to your diet, and you’ll be glad you did. Here are some exciting recipes using quinoa, to gain that extra dose of energy in summers:

Quinoa Summer Salad



Recipe:

• Soak 1 cup quinoa for 15-20 minutes.
• Rinse thoroughly and drain water.
• Add 2 cups water in a wide pot and heat on low uncovered.
• Once the water is at the level of quinoa, cover the pot.
• Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes.
• Add 10-12 spinach leaves, ½ chopped avocado, ½ blood orange, some hazelnuts, and a fistful of pomegranate to top.
• Add a pinch of our Black Pepperto season. Mix well.

Eat it fresh!

Quinoa Chocolate Cookies

Recipe:

• Prep 2 cups quinoa as mentioned in the above recipe (2 cups quinoa means 4 cups of water to be used).
• Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a baking sheet.
• Combine 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, 3 tbsp maple syrup, 3 tbsp of our Cacao Powder, 1/4 tsp of our Pink Salt with the cooked quinoa.
• Drop the mixture onto the baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 mins.

Cool and eat delicious cookies.

You can also visit our blog post and learn the Recipe to Make the Perfect Kale and Quinoa Pattie.

4) Indian Green Tea

Finally, a beverage that defeats many other contenders and makes it to the worthy list: Indian green tea.

Indian green tea is rich in antioxidants and polyphenolic compounds that have strong anti-inflammatory effects and are great for body metabolism. A cup of Indian green tea will boost your energy levels and freshen you up for the rest of the day. Also, it has low caffeine levels, is also gluten- and GMO-free.

Recipe:

• Place 2 cups of water in a cooking pot and bring it to a low boil.
• Add 2 tsp of Pride of India Green Tea and let the water simmer for 4-5 mins for optimal flavor and strength.

Strain the leaves and enjoy the tea.

Protip: Green tea is also available in easy-to-use, convenient tea bags. Just dip in hot water and enjoy.

5) Super Stevia

We want to give a special mention to this super-healthy alternative to sugar - our very favorite Super Stevia. It is not here because of its high in nutrition or antioxidants qualities, like other superfoods on the list; it is here because of the benefits it brings from replacing the unhealthy sugar as a sweetener in your diet.

Pride of India’s Super Stevia contains zero calories and is 100% natural and pure, gluten-free, GMO-free, cholesterol free, fat-free, vegan, and non-irradiated. Try it, and you’ll instantaneously become a fan, like us.

How to Consume:

• Use it to sweeten coffee or tea, smoothies, yogurt, or any other beverage, as you would, otherwise, with sugar.
• Add it to cakes, cookies, fizzy drinks, chocolates.

Protip: Stevia is about 8x sweeter than sugar, that means only 1/8th of this should suffice, in comparison to the amount of sugar you would typically use. Just a heads-up when adding it to your food and beverages. 

These five superfoods will help you beat this heatwave.