5 Easy to Digest & Light Foods to Eat for a Summer Dinner

If you are looking for light foods to eat during the summer months, we have some low-calorie, wholesome, and nutrient-dense recipes to keep you fuller for longer. These recipes are easy to make in a fraction of the time. Healthy meals will promote weight loss and reduce cardiovascular issues, digestive problems, and obesity. 

Light Foods Promote Good Health

If you have never heard the term “light foods” before, they are a combination of several nutritious ingredients that are quickly absorbed by the body and easy to digest. They contain fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, certain legumes, seafood, eggs, skinless chicken, and no processed foods or fast food. Light foods are low in spices and fat. 

The benefits of eating light, nutritious food for health are the following:

• Lower blood pressure
• Improve digestion
• Improve quality of sleep
• Reduce risk of obesity
• Boost your metabolism
• Maintain good blood sugar levels
• Manage bloating
• Reduce instances of heartburn
• Decrease acid reflux
• Flush toxins
• Decrease risk of cardiovascular disease
• Manage constipation

The benefits of eating light, nutritious food for health are the following:

• Lower blood pressure
• Improve digestion
• Improve quality of sleep
• Reduce risk of obesity
• Boost your metabolism
• Maintain good blood sugar levels
• Manage bloating
• Reduce instances of heartburn
• Decrease acid reflux
• Flush toxins
• Decrease risk of cardiovascular disease
• Manage constipation

Light Foods to Eat for a Summer Dinner

There are several light foods that you can easily incorporate into your summer dinner. They are delightful, filling, and refreshing meals that are quick to make. 

Chicken Salad with Tarragon

Benefits: Low fat

Prep time: 7 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Serving Size: 1

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cubed chicken breast
• ¼ cup of yogurt (low fat)
• ⅙ cup of dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon of lime juice
• ¼ cup of red onions, thinly sliced
• ½ cup of chopped celery
• ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of dried tarragon
• Salt for taste

Preparation:

1. Place salt, black pepper, and cubed chicken breast in a pot of boiling water.
2. Cook these ingredients in the pot for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Slice your dried cranberries and place them in a bowl. 
4. Add the lime juice, yogurt, sliced red onions, salt, chopped celery, fresh ground black pepper, and tarragon in the bowl. 
5. Remove the cooked chicken breast cubes and place them in your bowl.

Fish Taco 

Benefits: Heart-healthy

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Serving Size: 2

Ingredients:

• 2 mackerels (medium-sized)
• 2 taco shells
• ½ cup of chopped tomatoes
• ¼ cup of avocado
• ¼ cup of onions (chopped)
• 2 tablespoons of low-fat Greek yogurt
• 5 tablespoons of lime juice
• ¼ cup of iceberg lettuce (chopped)
• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon of dried rosemary
• ½ teaspoon of ginger paste
• ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• Salt for taste
• Small handful of cilantro
• ¼ teaspoon of black pepper

Preparation:

1. Mix one tablespoon olive oil, ginger paste, garlic paste, cayenne pepper, salt, two tablespoons lime juice, plus the dried rosemary into a bowl.
2. Brush this mixture on your mackerels. Place it aside for ten minutes.
3. In a preheated oven, grill your mackerels for seven to ten minutes.
4. While they grill, mix lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, onion, yogurt, olive oil, lime juice, pepper, and salt in a bowl.
5. Remove the grilled mackerels. Remove the bones.
6. Add your avocado salad inside the taco shells.
7. Top the tacos with grilled mackerel, cilantro, and lime juice.

Broccoli Casserole

Benefits: Lowers cholesterol

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Serving Size: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups of broccoli florets
• ¼ cup of zucchini (diced)
• ½ cup of carrots (chopped)
• ¼ cup of green peas
• 6 slices of eggplant
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• ½ cup of tofu (crumbled)
• 2 tablespoons of lime juice
• ½ teaspoon of black pepper
• ½ tablespoon of dried herbs
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Mix all vegetables with dried herbs, olive oil, salt, lime juice, and black pepper.
2. Transfer the vegetables to your casserole pot.
3. Place crumbled tofu on top of the vegetables in the pot.
4. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven.
5. Enjoy! 

Whole Wheat Pasta 

Benefits: Light meal

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serving Size: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of whole wheat pasta (bowtie)
• ¼ cup of broccoli florets
• ½ cup of zucchini (chopped)
• ½ cup of chicken breast (cubed)
• 2 teaspoons of oregano
• 7 cups of water
• 6 tablespoons of oil
• 4 tablespoons of grated cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
• Salt for taste
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper

Preparation:

1. Add seven cups of water to a soup pot and allow it to boil.
2. Add in bowtie pasta and a little olive oil and salt. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. While it is cooking, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan.
4. Add garlic. Fry it until brown.
5. Put chicken breast in a frying pan. Cook it for five minutes.
6. Add in vegetables. Fry them for 3-4 minutes.
7. Strain your pasta. Add chicken and sauteed vegetables.
8. Stir olive oil, oregano, pepper, and salt. Mix it well. 
9. Top the pasta using grated cheddar cheese and serve.

Quinoa Salad

Benefits: Burns fat

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Serving Size: 2

Ingredients:

• ½ cup of quinoa
• ¼ cup of onions (chopped)
• ½ cup of carrots (chopped)
• ¼ cup of yellow bell pepper (chopped)
• ¼ cup of cucumber (chopped)
• ¼ cup of tomato (chopped)
• ¼ cup of sweet corn kernels
• 2 teaspoons of minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 cup of water
• Handful of cilantro
• 2 tablespoons of lime juice
• Salt for taste
• ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan.
2. Add in minced garlic. Cook it for one minute.
3. Place chopped onion in the saucepan. Cook them until they are translucent.
4. Pour the water into the saucepan. Add pepper and salt.
5. Put in quinoa. Cook it for 15 minutes using a low to medium flame.
6. Once it is cooked, strain the water and allow it to cool until it reaches room temperature.
7. Chop the cilantro.
8. Add bell pepper, carrots, cucumber, sweet corn, tomato, and cilantro. Mix all ingredients well.
9. Top the mixture using a pinch of salt, lime juice, and pepper.

Final Thoughts

Light foods to eat are an essential component of healthy eating. They help people lose weight and offer a range of additional health benefits. Eating nutritious food makes you feel fuller because these types of meals are nutrient-rich. People who partake in this type of eating style will quickly benefit from nutritious meals that are satisfying and will not leave them hungry. 
For further recipe suggestions on eating light, you can check out Noom and Healthi (previously iTrackbites).