Beat the heat with these chilled and delicious recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Summer is a great time to break out of your usual mealtime routine and try new combinations of foods—and new ways of preparing them, preferably without heat!

Friends and family know that I love to experiment with food combinations—mixing fruits and vegetables, grains and proteins, and various seasoning combinations just to try something new. Cooking this way makes every meal an adventure in eating.

One general guideline I like to follow is this: a colorful meal is a nutritious meal. The more colors the better! Take my Favorite red cabbage salad. It’s so simple—and beautiful! (Recipe below.)

Here is a complete day’s worth of delicious, chilled meals that won’t heat your kitchen or go to your waistline. They will help you enjoy a day of Modern Wellness!

Early Bird Smoothie

1 banana
¼ c. diced pineapple
½ orange
1 c. soy or almond milk (or low-fat cow’s milk for those who are not sensitive)
¼ c. plain fat-free Greek yogurt or plain soy yogurt
Ice and a sweet spice like cinnamon, if desired.

Blend together and enjoy! The fruit will provide sufficient sweetness, as well as plenty of hydration.

Wake-Up Shake

1 c. soy or almond milk
½ c. pineapple
½ c. kale
1 banana
Frozen berries, if desired

Blend together and enjoy!

Dr. Murad’s Favorite Red Cabbage/Green Apple Salad

Just shred one-half of a medium red cabbage, add a thinly sliced green apple, a cup of fresh lime juice, and a pinch of salt. Chill it all together in the refrigerator and watch it turn a wonderful bright pink color! It’s delicious alone—and full of vitamin C, antioxidants, fiber, and water—or add it to a green salad, like my Power Greens Salad.

Dr. Murad’s Power Greens Salad

I always keep a power greens “base” in the refrigerator. My base can include any combination of delicious greens:

Baby kale
Baby chard
Arugula
Baby spinach
Curly leaf
Dandelion greens

(If these start to lose their peak of freshness, I lightly steam them for side dishes, or sauté them with poultry, tofu, fish, or eggs. You can even add them to your smoothie!)
To these I add whatever combination of extra ingredients I have on hand. They might include:

Whole grains, nuts, seeds, tofu, tempeh, seafood, previously cooked and cubed poultry or other meat, cucumbers, bell peppers (any color), fennel, broccoli, shredded cabbage, celery, turnips, carrots, radishes, sugar/snap peas, cauliflower, avocado, artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, shredded beets (you don’t even have to cook them!), tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh ginger, pomegranates, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, almonds, pine nuts, citrus segments, sliced pear, sliced apples, sprouts, chayote squash, goat cheese, herbs, lentils, quinoa, garbanzo beans, black beans, kidney beans, white beans, hard-boiled egg, sesame seeds…you get the idea!

For the dressing, I like to whisk together Dijon mustard, a dollop of honey, vinegar (balsamic, rice wine, or even organic apple cider), and extra virgin olive oil, with a little salt and fresh ground or cracked pepper.

Avocado Lime Parsley Chicken

(Two servings)

1 ripe avocado
Juice of one lime
6 oz. cooked chicken, cubed
4 T. chopped walnuts
1 c. grapes, quartered
¼ c. chopped fresh parsley
Pepper to taste

Mash avocado in a medium-sized bowl, add remaining ingredients, and season with freshly ground pepper.

White Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad

(Four servings)

15-oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2-1/2 c. halved grape or cherry tomatoes
2/3 c. diced red onion
¼ c. chopped fresh dill
¼ c. extra virgin olive oil
3 T. fresh lemon juice
1 T. balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, pressed
Pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Marinate at room temperature for 1 hour prior to serving.

Gazpacho Soup

(Three one-cup servings)

2 c. low-sodium V-8 juice
¼ c. raw turnip
½ c. peeled, seeded, chopped cucumber
¼ c. chopped celery
¼ c. chopped yellow pepper
¼ c. chopped sweet onion
¼ c. chopped carrots
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Put juice and vegetables into blend and process very briefly. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

Veggie Sandwich on Whole Wheat Pita

1 tomato, chopped
Red onion, ½-inch diced
Black olives, chopped
¼ c. hummus
2 lettuce leaves
Whole wheat pita cut in half to form two pockets.

Mix together tomato, onion, and olives. Spread the pita with hummus; add a lettuce leaf to each pocket; and stuff with the vegetables. You can also add avocado, chopped cooked chicken breast, or cubed salmon. Pair the gazpacho with the sandwich and look at all the veggies you’ve eaten…deliciously!

Have friends or family over to join you for a meal on the deck or the patio or in the park and you’ve combined all aspects of Modern Wellness: hydration, nutrition, and connection.

To your health!