How To: Healthy Summer Living

When summertime rolls around, it’s easy to throw healthy habits out the window, especially if your schedule is thrown for a loop with kids home from school, summer travel, or both. But it doesn’t have to be that way! With a few healthy tweaks and some planning ahead, you can have your summer fun and keep some consistency in your healthy habits. It’s almost like having your (gluten-free) cake and eating it too! Our Registered Dietitian, Sam, is on the blog today sharing her four favorite tips for healthy summer living.

Plan ahead

This can mean bringing nourishing snacks or meals with you on your travels, but it can also mean making a plan for once you’re home, too. I love making my grocery list on the plane ride home, and either hitting the grocery store within 24 hours of being home or scheduling grocery pickup or delivery for the same day I get home. With a well-stocked fridge and pantry, there’s no need for multiple days/nights of takeout or for feeling like you’re out of routine the rest of the week. 

This is where Snap can come in handy, too. Future you will really appreciate it if you have the foresight to schedule a Snap delivery to arrive once you get back. An added bonus? No need for the shopping, time spent cooking, or the cleanup (which I think we can all agree is the worst part, no?). And if you’re going on a road trip, I love taking a few of Snap’s more travel-friendly options, like our Chicken Caesar Wrap and our Protein Snack Pack, along for the ride. 

Prep your food in advance

This definitely doesn’t mean you have to meal prep everything you and your family is eating in a given week, but make sure you have a plan. Know what meats need to be defrosted when, what you need from the store, and when you’ll make the items you’ve planned. I love prepping 1-2 options ahead of time, typically components like chicken thighs or roasted veggies, so that I can mix-and-match later for easy lunches and dinners. I also love making sure I have items like deli turkey, mixed salad greens, tinned wild-caught fish, Greek yogurt, and cottage cheese on hand for easy meals and snacks when I’m short on time. 

Choose 1-2 healthy habits to do consistently all summer

With any healthy habit, consistency is key. This means that even if you can’t do something every day, or even if you miss a week during a busy travel week, as long as you’re committed to coming back to that habit a few times a week, or once you’re home, you’ll still see results. Your healthy habits will look different than mine, since no two people have identical goals or circumstances, but some ideas of habits to shoot for include: eating 30+ grams of protein at each meal, aiming for 10k steps a day, strength training 4 days a week, committing to a consistent sleep/wake routine, meditating for 5 minutes a day, or including vegetables at each meal. Whatever you choose, the real key is committing to it all summer long. For most habits, you can even continue them on vacation, or if a week is particularly busy. 

Take advantage of in-season produce

Visit your local farmers market to take advantage of all the amazing in-season fruits and veggies, as well as locally-sourced meats, honey, and so much more. For anyone wanting to eat a little healthier, I always encourage a trip to the farmers market. It’s the perfect place to get re-inspired in the kitchen and to try something new.

Do you have go-to strategies for staying healthy all summer long? If so, I want to hear in the comments!

If variety is the spice of life, our regularly rotating menu is sure to keep food boredom at bay. We’ve even got a huge summer menu update launching for DTC customers on June 19th and in stores on June 25th.