It’s hot and you’re jonesing for a fresh meal to cool you down. The choices are: chopped lettuce salad with apples, celery and a low-fat apple cider vinaigrette; or potato salad with hard-boiled eggs, dill pickles and mayonnaise.
Which do you reach for?
Most us of would probably choose the green salad on instinct. It’s summery-sounding and features watery vegetables and fruit. The potato salad sounds heavy and wintry. But if you’re out and about in summer’s most dogged days, then that green salad probably won’t be enough. Here’s why:
fat = energy, and the green salad has almost none of it. You’re looking at mostly water, with some fiber and a good deal of sugar. To replenish the calories you’re burning in the heat—whether you’re lifting something heavy or just walking to work—you need energy, and the quick-burst of apple’s sugar won’t cut it.
If you’re feeling wiped, you probably need water. Juice may sound nice, but it won’t give you the full feeling or the well of energy that protein, fat and starchy carbs provide.
The potato salad may raise a few red flags, particularly if you’re thinking about industrial mayo and glow in the dark pickles (swathed in sugar and salt). That’s a healthy response, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t healthy alternatives. You can make your own mayo (a bit ambitious, in my book), or search for a brand that uses as few ingredients as possible (at best: oil and egg whites). As for pickles, buy fresh, if possible, since those aren’t bathed in chemicals that bestow the sickly green sheen.
So, even if you’re thinking thin this summer, don’t skimp on basic nutrition. Drink lots of water, and get enough energy from whole foods. You’ll feel great when you get back from the beach without a headache.
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