Summer is here (woo hoo!), and for most of the United States, that means hot days and steamy nights.
Although some people relish this type of heat, for others, it can feel draining or downright oppressive.
Even if you enjoy feeling hot, no one wants to overheat, which is more common than you think, especially for active people.
This is where adjusting your diet and eating habits to meet the season can be a game-changer.
Yes! Specific foods and beverages can help cool you down when it’s hot outside, and they’re not always intuitive.
If you’d like to uplevel your nutrition while beating the heat, read on to learn about dozens of foods that will help keep you cool, hydrated, and well-nourished all summer long.
What To Eat When It’s Very Hot Outside: Foods That Cool You Down
Picture it. It’s the dead of summer, high noon, and you’re stuck at your child’s, friend’s, or partner’s baseball game.
There is no shade, the humidity is dire, your legs are stuck to the bleachers with perspiration, and you feel like you’re about to self-combust.
Your natural inclination would be to reach for something—anything—ice cold, right? Not so fast.
Although a nice ballpark frozen yogurt or beer may cool you down for a few minutes, ice-cold food can make your body hotter.
When your body senses cold, whether ice cream or sub-zero temperatures, it activates thermogenesis to raise your body temperature.
This is a protective mechanism that keeps us alive, but also takes the sense out of eating too many icy cold foods when it’s hot out.
Instead, try some of these cooling foods you can enjoy all summer long.
1: Water-Rich Foods
Staying hydrated is essential to avoid overheating and dehydration.
Although drinking water is the best way to achieve this, consuming more water-rich foods also counts toward your daily fluid intake.
Examples of foods with high water content include:
- Melons
- Cucumber
- Celery
- Tomatoes
- Citrus fruits
- Zucchini
- Pomegranates
- Pitaya (Dragon Fruit)
- Kiwi
- Pears
- Apples
- Iceberg lettuce
- Pineapple
- Peaches
- Leafy Greens
- Grapes (these are great frozen!)
- Broths and stocks
All these foods are good sources of fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other life-giving nutrients. Plus, they taste good!
Enjoy often and reap the cool rewards.
2. Electrolyte-Rich Foods
Electrolytes are minerals that have a positive or negative electrical charge when dissolved in water.
Your body requires electrolytes for various functions, including hydration, maintaining fluid balance, and promoting muscle contraction.
Some of the best-known electrolytes are potassium, sodium, and magnesium.
Although you could chug a dye-laden sports drink for electrolytes, there are healthier options in the form of mineral-rich foods, including:
- Coconut water
- Bananas
- Potatoes (skins on)
- Vegetables
- Leafy Greens
- Fruits and fruit juices
- Nuts
- Legumes
- Broths
Experts agree that eating a healthy, whole-foods diet and staying hydrated are the best ways to replenish electrolytes and prevent dehydration.
3. Green Drinks & Smoothies
Green drinks and smoothies are a cool way to get plenty of hydrating, electrolyte- and water-rich fruits, vegetables, and superfoods into your summer routine.
Add some protein, like certified gluten-free grass-fed Biochem’s Whey Isolate or certified gluten-free, sustainably sourced, DNA-verified, and organic Vegan Protein Powders, and you’ve got a perfect healthy snack or post-workout shake.
Try an Avocado Mango Smoothie made with coconut water or a Cherry Banana Blossom Smoothie with yogurt, cherries, and pomegranate juice.
To avoid making your smoothie too cold, add fresh or thawed fruit or a blend of fresh and frozen fruit and skip the ice.
4. Spicy Foods
This may seem counterintuitive, but spicy foods can cause your body to sweat, which will cool you down fast.
This is partly why spicy foods are so popular in extremely hot climates such as India, Mexico, and tropical regions.
So say a “heck yes!” to jalapenos, cayenne pepper, curries, and ginger in your foods and beverages.
5. Soups and Broths
Like spicy foods, eating soups and broths causes the body to go into cooling mode, which will lower your body temperature even on a hot day.
As a bonus, traditionally made broths, like vegetable or bone broths, are also rich in electrolytes, making them ultra-hydrating.
For this reason, eating brothy soups and bowls is practiced year-round in very hot climates, like Vietnam and Thailand.
Try it and see for yourself.
6. Yogurt
Traditional or plant-based yogurts are a soothing and cooling food to enjoy when it’s very hot outside.
They’re naturally cool (but not too cold), full of water, and high in electrolytes like calcium.
Add some yogurt to a smoothie, granola, or enjoy with fresh fruit, and feel the relief.
Jonsin’ for some frozen yogurt? Although it may not cool you down long, frozen yogurt is a delicious treat.
Try these Greek Yogurt Berry Ice Pops for a healthy frozen treat.
7. Hot or Cool Herbal Teas
Herbal teas, enjoyed hot or cool, are a better choice for cooling off than their caffeinated cousins.
Caffeinated drinks like black tea and coffee are diuretics, meaning they cause the body to excrete fluids.
This may be fine in moderation, but when it’s very hot, you may want to limit your caffeine intake.
Here are some tasty herbal teas to try:
- Hibiscus is delicious as a lemonade base and creates an attractive, ruby red beverage
- Tulsi, also known as Holy Basil, is delicious hot or iced and makes a great Chai tea base
- Powdered dandelion, chicory, or blends make yummy coffee substitutes, served warm or cool
Herbal teas can be enjoyed warm (which will kick in those natural cooling sensations) or cool to hydrate and refresh.
8. Leafy Green Salads
Leafy greens are one of nature’s most underrated superfoods.
Loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and cancer-fighting nutrients, these mean green powerhouses offer deep nutrition and noticeable cooling benefits.
But let’s face it, salads can get boring, especially if you eat the same old thing every day.
Try mixing it up this summer by swapping romaine or iceberg lettuce for lacinato kale, mache, arugula, baby spinach, microgreens, or power green mixes.
Make your salad filling by adding a lean protein and fiber-filled nuts and seeds.
Want more carbs and texture?
Cook up some gluten-free or whole grain ramen noodles, crunch up some crackers, or toast up some torn pita and toss in with your favorite punchy vinaigrette, lemon or lime juice, tamari, chili sauce, and/or cheese.
8. Grain-Based Bowls and Salads
Grain bowls are all the rage right now for good reason. They’re fast, nutritious, filling, high in fiber and nutrients, and super versatile.
Whole grains, such as quinoa, farro, whole grain pastas, and millet, are also good sources of plant-based protein and fiber. They can be eaten alone or paired with beans or legumes for a complete protein.
If you prefer something cool, turn that bowl into a grain-based salad to triple your benefit.
- Cooked and cooled grains or potatoes are an excellent source of resistant starch, a type of carbohydrate that resists digestion and ferments in the gut, where it acts as food for beneficial gut microbes.
- Grain-based salads are instant coolers: Cool grains, cool dressing, and cool toppings are perfect for those sweltering summer days
- Grain-based salads are a real time saver: Make a big batch on your day off, portion into storage containers or mason jars, open and eat within 3-4 days. Instant lunch!
To recap, whole grains are a good source of plant-based protein and fiber, they’re easy to digest—making them naturally cooling, and they’re affordable, quick, and easy to whip up.
What’s not to like?
9. Cooling Herbs & Spices
Various traditional medicine systems, such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, categorize herbs and spices based on their cooling or warming properties.
Some examples of cooling herbs and spices based on traditional medicine and herbalism include:
- Mints (peppermint, spearmint, etc.)
- Lemon balm
- Cilantro
- Elderflower
- Hibiscus
- Fennel
- Chamomile
- Lemongrass
- Cardamom
- Dill
- Aloe
Try adding these to dressings, soups, broths, marinades, salads, cold beverages, and teas for a quick and flavorful cool-me-down.
10. Sea Vegetables
Sea vegetables have been enjoyed for centuries as mineral-rich functional foods in Asian countries.
Their minerals, including electrolytes, make them cooling on their own or added to other cooling foods such as soups and broths, salads, stir-fries, sushi, and even a pasta substitute in salads (kelp noodles).
Sea vegetables like nori, kelp, and dulse have a delightful umami flavor. They are rich in various nutrients, including iodine, essential fatty acids, vitamins A, C, and B, antioxidants called alginates, trace minerals, electrolytes, and unique proteins.
Learn more about how to incorporate sea veggies into your diet in: 25 Healthy Gluten-Free Snacks.
Looking For More Cooling Summer Recipes?
At Biochem, we are dedicated to helping athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and health-conscious people optimize their nutrition and lifestyle.
We do this by offering certified gluten-free, contaminant-tested, certified kosher, and certified vegetarian whey and vegan protein powders, as well as recipes and the latest health information.
We invite you to shop our ultra-clean Whey Protein, Plant Protein, and Sports Nutrition supplements to learn more.
And be sure to check out the Recipe Section of our blog for more healthy cooling summertime (or any time) recipe inspiration.
Sources mentioned in this article:
- “Hydrating Foods”. Medical News Today.
- “Electrolytes”. The Cleveland Clinic.
- “Diet, hydration best way to get electrolytes.” UCLA Health.
- “Kale and Cancer Fighting Leafy Vegetables”. American Institute For Cancer Research.
- “A Dietary Intervention High in Green Leafy Vegetables Reduces Oxidative DNA Damage in Adults at Increased Risk of Colorectal Cancer: Biological Outcomes of the Randomized Controlled Meat and Three Greens (M3G) Feasibility Trial”. Nutrients.
- “Millet, Whole Grain”. USDA Food Data Central.
- “Quinoa, Cooked”. USDA Food Data Central.
- “Farro, Pearled”. USDA Food Data Central.
- “Amaranth, Cooked”. USDA Food Data Central.
- “Millet, Cooked.”USDA Food Data Central.
- “Resistant starch and the gut microbiome: Exploring beneficial interactions and dietary impacts”. Food Chem X.
- “Seaweed and human health." Nutr Rev.
- “Seaweeds as Valuable Sources of Essential Fatty Acids for Human Nutrition." Int J Environ Res Public Health.
- “Seaweed, kelp, raw." FoodDataCentral, USDA.