Summer is the ideal time to create snacks that are not only healthy but are satisfying and refreshing.
Choosing snacks with key nutrients like protein and fiber can help you stay fuller longer, give you the energy you need to enjoy long summer days and nights, and support your health goals all season long
If you’re looking for something delicious, yet healthy and easy to make, these simple snack ideas can help you stay on track while making the most out of your summer.
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Why It’s Great For Summer: Mixing sweet, hydrating watermelon with salty, high-protein feta creates the perfect summer snack. “In the summer, I always look for snacks that are hydrating, colorful, and full of flavor,” Charlotte Abbate, MS, CNS, CDN, told Health. “Seasonal produce like watermelon, strawberries, tomatoes, and cucumbers, are naturally high in water and fiber, making them perfect for hot days.”
Why It Supports Weight Loss: Watermelon is more than 90% water, which makes it a smart choice for staying hydrated on hot summer days. It’s also a good source of antioxidants such as vitamin C, lycopene, and beta-carotene.
Serving Tip: Abbate likes to pair produce, like watermelon, with a source of protein, like feta cheese, which improves satiety and can reduce cravings later in the day.
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Why It’s Great For Summer: Like watermelon, cucumbers are high in water, containing over 95% water by weight, making them a hydrating choice for summertime snacking.
Why It Supports Weight Loss: Chicken packs 26 grams of protein per 4-ounce serving and is also high in essential nutrients like B vitamins, zinc, and selenium. Protein supports feelings of fullness by slowing digestion and stimulating the release of satiety hormones, helping you maintain a healthy body weight.
Serving Tip: For a filling, crunchy, low-calorie, and hydrating snack, top cucumber rounds with chicken salad.
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Why It’s Great For Summer: “For something cool and sweet, I like to make smoothies or smoothie pops with seasonal fruits,” said Abbate.
Why It Supports Weight Loss: Frozen wild blueberries are an excellent source of fiber and powerful antioxidants, like vitamin C and anthocyanins. Combine frozen wild blueberries with whey protein powder, which packs 25 grams of filling protein per 28-gram scoop, and a liquid of your choice to make a quick, yet satisfying snack.
Serving Tip: Abbate pours her smoothies into ice pop molds to create nutritious and refreshing smoothie pops that can be enjoyed at any time of day or night.
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Why It’s Great For Summer: Cottage cheese is creamy, delicious, and can be used to create a high-protein, lower-calorie ice cream that can be enjoyed as a cooling and nutritious dessert.
Why It Supports Weight Loss: It packs 23.5 grams of protein per cup.
Serving Tip: To make cottage cheese ice cream, blend 2 cups of cottage cheese with 2 tablespoons of sweetener, like maple syrup or honey, and mix-ins of your choice, like fresh fruit or peanut butter, in a high-speed blender or food processor. When the mixture is smooth, pour it into a glass storage container and freeze until it’s reached a firm but creamy consistency.
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Why It’s Great For Summer: A Greek yogurt parfait is the perfect snack to enjoy on a hot summer day.
Why It Supports Weight Loss: Greek yogurt contains around twice the amount of protein found in regular yogurt, making it a perfect option for people who want an extra-filling snack. An 8-ounce serving of Greek yogurt provides 22.7 grams of protein, while the same serving of regular yogurt contains just 11.9 grams.
Serving Tip: Layer Greek yogurt with fresh berries, like strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, and chopped almonds.
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Why It’s Great For Summer: Eggs are versatile and high in essential nutrients like protein and healthy fats. Additionally, California avocados are in peak season from June through August.
Why It Supports Weight Loss: Avocados are high in fiber, with a 201-gram avocado packing 13.5 grams, which covers 48% of your daily fiber needs. Fiber slows digestion, helping you feel full after eating, which can support weight loss. Avocados are also high in magnesium, a nutrient that’s essential for healthy blood pressure and blood sugar regulation.
Serving Tip: For a tasty avocado egg salad, mix a mashed avocado and a tablespoon of mayonnaise into four chopped, hard-boiled eggs. Add in chopped herbs, red onion, and a squeeze of lemon for extra flavor and nutrition.
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Why It’s Great For Summer: Summer is peak tomato season. Tomatoes are high in the carotenoid compound lycopene, which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity and has been shown to protect the skin against sun damage.
Why It Supports Weight Loss: Tomatoes are composed of 90–95% water, making them a good choice for staying hydrated in the summer heat.
Serving Tip: Pairing bite-sized cherry tomatoes with a source of protein and fat, like mozzarella, creates a satisfying, salty combo that’s a hit. Add fresh basil to your skewers for extra flavor and antioxidant benefits.
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Why It’s Great For Summer: Summer is prime berry season.
Why It Supports Weight Loss: “Berries are hydrating and are rich in fiber, which helps you feel full after eating,” said Abbate. Chia seeds are packed with fiber, providing 9.75 grams of fiber per ounce, which covers 35% of your daily fiber needs. Blackberries are also high in fiber, packing 8 grams per cup, or 28.5% of your fiber needs.
Serving Tip: To make chia pudding, mix half a cup of unsweetened milk or plant-based milk with two tablespoons of chia seeds and a sweetener, like monk fruit or maple syrup. Shake the mixture to combine, then let it set in the refrigerator until it’s firm and creamy. Top your chia pudding with fresh blackberries.
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Why It’s Great For Summer: Canned tuna is portable and shelf-stable, making it an excellent ingredient to create simple and affordable snacks.
Why It Supports Weight Loss: Tuna is a rich source of protein, with one 172-gram can containing 40.6 grams of protein. It’s also high in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats, and vitamin D, B12, vitamin E, selenium, and magnesium.
Serving Tip: Make a Mediterranean tuna salad by mixing canned tuna with chickpeas, chopped tomatoes, diced cucumbers, and parsley. Top your tuna salad with a drizzle of olive oil and red wine vinegar, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a sprinkle of feta cheese.
Fueling your body with refreshing, satisfying snacks can keep you healthy and on track with your summertime weight loss goals.
If you’re looking for options that both cool you down and fill you up, try whipping up some of the tasty snacks listed above, like watermelon and feta salad, berry smoothies, cottage cheese ice cream, and chicken salad on cucumber rounds.
