Summer Nutrition: What Would You Do?
When my boys were under five, summer days looked like this:
Pools.
Water parks.
Playgrounds.
Basically hauling strollers, towels, snacks, and water toys all over Vancouver. One year, when many of the local pools and water parks were closed due to a City strike, finding a place for the boys to run amok meant trekking outside the city. Anyone remember that? Richmond and Burnaby have great pools and parks, by the way!
Once home from these adventures, I'd collapse into a backyard chair thinking:
Heroic parenting work completed. I am a rockstar. Those days were fun, but they were also fueled by chips and ciders as rewards at the end of each day. It was a mini celebration, every day.
That was my mindset.
Sunny day? Celebrate.
Kids had fun? Celebrate.
Barbecue? Celebrate.
Beach day? Celebrate.
Trip away? Celebrate.
Before long, summer itself had become a reason to eat and drink more.
By September, those little celebrations had added up to a noticeable weight gain.
I knew my choices weren't ideal, but I was enjoying summer and wasn’t paying much attention to the cumulative effect of those daily habits. It was pre-CrossFit, friends!
What I didn't appreciate then was how easy it is to turn summer into a season of exceptions.
Most summer nutrition decisions aren't big decisions. They're small ones repeated over and over again. Eventually, I had to get real.
Here are nine common summer situations. What would you do?
1. You're invited to a backyard barbecue and have decided not to drink alcohol tonight. What's most likely to help you stick to that decision?
A) Show up and hope there is something non-alcoholic available
B) Bring sparkling water, flavoured soda water, or ingredients for a mocktail
Answer: B
Never arrive empty-handed if a booze-free night is your goal. If you have your drink of choice at hand, you're less likely to default to whatever is available.
2. You arrive home from the beach at 6:30 pm. You're hot, hungry, and nobody wants to cook. Which situation gives you the best chance of eating well?
A) Order takeout
B) A batch of Tuna Power Burgers, cooked chicken, or another protein option waiting in the fridge
Answer: B
Preparation beats willpower every time. See the Tuna Power Burger recipe at the end of the post. It's made from pantry staples and comes together in about ten minutes.
3. You're running around on fumes and need an urgent lunch. At A&W, you decide on a Teen Burger. What is it going to be?
A) Teen Burger on a bun
B) Teen Burger wrapped in lettuce
Answer: B
Skipping the bun can save approximately 120–200 calories and, I would argue, tastes even better. A lettuce-wrapped Teen Burger comes in at approximately 340 calories.
4. You're at a summer barbecue. How do you build your plate?
A) Start with the potato salad and pasta salad
B) Fill half your plate with vegetables and green salad, then add a small portion of potato or pasta salad and a bunch of grilled chicken.
Answer: B
A solid bed of greens stretches out any meal of favourites!
5. You want lunch from the beach concession. Which choice gives you the best nutritional bang for your buck?
A) Fish and chips
B) Salmon burger wrapped in lettuce and split an order of fries with a friend
Answer: B
You still get the beach-food experience but save 300–500 calories by skipping the batter and downsizing the fries.
6. You're driving to the Okanagan and lunch is still two hours away. You stop for fuel, and your stomach is growling. Which choice is most likely to keep you satisfied?
A) Gummy bears and chips
B) Beef jerky, a cheese string, or a protein bar
Answer: B
These options can provide 15–25 grams of protein, are more filling than chips and candy, and are pretty tasty! Save protein bars for these emergencies, and they become a treat!
7. It's a hot July evening, and your family wants ice cream. What's the strategy most likely to work all summer long?
A) Tell yourself you can't have ice cream.
B) Order your favourite cone on select nights
Answer: B
Special ice cream nights taste better. Go out for it on occasion and enjoy it to the fullest.
8. You're at a Canadians game and are ordering stadium food.
What is it going to be?
A) Large smokie on a bun
B) Hot dog with mustard
Answer: B
A typical stadium smokie can contain 500–700 calories and 35–50 grams of fat.
A standard hot dog with mustard is often closer to 250–350 calories.
That's a surprisingly large difference for a very similar experience.
9. You've finished your workout at Empower. You're starving, but have a bunch of stuff to do before you can make food and are empty-handed. What's your best stop-gap?
A) A muffin or scone
B) Protein shake and a carton of berries from No Frills
Answer: B
A muffin is calorically dense and not particularly filling. The shake-and-berries combo provides protein and carbohydrates to support recovery while helping take the edge off your hunger.
Your Summer Nutrition IQ
8–9 Correct: You have the tools to enjoy summer while still supporting your goals.
5–7 Correct: A few small tweaks could make a surprisingly big difference.
0–4 Correct: Borrow a few ideas and see what happens. Small changes have a way of adding up.
Summer Tuna Power Burgers
Makes 4 really tasty burgers.
Ingredients
2 cans of tuna, drained very well
2 eggs
1 slice Squirrelly Bread, pulsed into fresh breadcrumbs (about ¼–⅓ cup)
2 green onions, finely sliced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Drain the tuna thoroughly and place in a bowl.
Add eggs, breadcrumbs, green onions, Dijon, salt, and pepper.
Mix until combined.
Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes (or longer). Helps the breadcrumbs absorb moisture and makes the patties easier to form.
Form into 4 patties.
Heat a lightly buttered frying pan over medium heat.
Cook 4–5 minutes per side until golden brown.
Serve a large salad or vegetables, dressing of choice.
Nutrition (Approximate Per Burger)
Calories: 140
Protein: 20 g
Carbohydrates: 5 g
Fat: 4 g
What I love about these burgers is that the ingredients are easy to keep on hand.
I make the bread crumbs by toasting a piece of bread and pulsing it in the Vitamix; no need to buy bread crumbs.
The lone burger in the picture was a tester. I warmed up another burger and ate it on a bed of greens the next day, and it was a fantastic lunch. In fact, I ate all four burgers over the course of 3 days.
You can also use one whole egg and 1–2 tablespoons of egg whites if you prefer; play around with this piece if you make them.
