Meal Prep for Summer
As these meal prep videos continue to be highly requested on my YouTube channel, I’m happy to unveil the latest in the series – a summer meal prep. During the summer there’s an abundance of fresh produce in the market so it’s easy to create light, fresh and healthy recipes.
Watch my Summer Meal Prep Video:
And subscribe to my YouTube Channel for weekly cooking videos!
Meal Prepping for Summer
Many of the recipes I’m sharing with you today include hydrating veggies, like zucchini, cucumber, strawberries and tomatoes. They’re perfect for hot summer days and help to cool and rehydrate your body.
If you watched my original Meal Prep or Spring Meal Prep video you know that I prefer to prepare ingredients over full meals. This allows me to have greater flexibility throughout the week and keep my meals interesting.
The goal is to not have your entire week of meals set in stone, but rather to save a little bit of time in the kitchen. It’s simply about making your life easier and providing healthy options to inspire healthy meals.
The bonus of this summer meal prep is that only two ingredients require any cooking, which means less time in the kitchen slaving over a hot oven or stove and hopefully more time outside enjoying summer.
Ingredients I’ve Meal Prepped for Summer
Zucchini BreadHard Boiled EggsBananasCucumbersStrawberriesLettuceRed OnionBell PepperChampagne VinaigretteGreek Salad Dressing
These ingredients can be combined in numerous ways, but today I’m sharing several meal ideas and recipes that I’ve made from these ingredients, including:
Zucchini Bread (with both sweet and savory toppings)Strawberry Banana SmoothieSmoked Salmon, Avocado and Cucumber BitesAvocado Egg SaladGreek SaladSmoked Salmon, Avocado and Arugula SaladChocolate Covered Bananas
Don’t forget that sliced cucumbers and hard boiled eggs on their own are delicious snacks as well. And one recipe I didn’t share but made myself after filming the video was a breakfast egg scramble with red onion, bell pepper, diced tomatoes, feta cheese and chives. It was divine. So remember to be creative and go beyond what I show on the video.
The Best Way to Clean Fresh Produce
The majority of the produce I buy is organic as I’m acutely aware of the amount of pesticide used in today’s farming practices. Many of you know that my dad has Parkinson’s and there are numerous studies which show pesticide exposure can dramatically increase the risk of Parkinson’s in those with a genetic predisposition.
I discovered this years ago when I stumbled on an article about the farming communities in California which were dubbed “Parkinson’s Alley” due to their exposure to pesticides. Ever since then I’ve purchased organic produce, to limit the amount of pesticide exposure.
But let me be very clear – organic produce is not pesticide-free. Not in the slightest. Organic produce is just free from the most harmful synthetic pesticides, such as glyphosate. Therefore, think of organic produce as containing “less pesticide” than it’s conventional counterpart.
So that begs the question – how do you properly wash all your delicious summer produce then?
For years I added a splash or two of vinegar to a large bowl of water and let veggies soak in that. Unfortunately, most studies have found that unless your vinegar to water ratio is 1:3, you’re simply wasting vinegar.
That means for a large bowl of about 6 cups of water you’d need a full 2 cups of vinegar. Most folks are adding no where near this amount. And even then, vinegar is only marginally better than using tap water on it’s own. For those using expensive commercial produce washes, studies have also found that those are negligible in additional benefit as well.
The best thing you can do to wash fresh produce is soak it in a bowl of water and rub it or scrub it, depending on the durability of the vegetable or fruit. It’s been found that water on it’s own will significantly reduce pesticides as well as dirt, debris and other bacteria. Now, if you’d like to add vinegar, by all means go for it. But just remember that a tablespoon or two is not impactful. The most important thing is simply a good soak in water.
If you’re interested, here are more myths and truths about washing produce.
Want even more ideas? Check out my best meal prep recipes, including durable salads, healthy snacks, and freezer-friendly recipes.
Downloadable Meal Prep PDF
If you’ve subscribed to my website and are on my email list you’ll receive a handy PDF guide of this weekly meal prep, with tips for prep time and storage. Subscribers are always the first to get new goodies! But if you’re not already subscribed, make sure to subscribe and you’ll soon receive this PDF guide as well.
I hope this summer meal prep inspires a few new ideas and if you’d like to see me continue these meal prep videos each season, let me know in the comments below. Happy meal prepping!