I don’t think anyone will disagree with me that it’s just hot right now! July has kicked off and we have already had some 100° days and high humidity just makes it worse. I don’t do well with the heat so I do my best to find every way possible to stay cool from light colored clothes and sitting in front of my little fan to the foods I eat. Yes, the foods we eat can make a difference in staying cool.

First, eat lighter meals and eat more often if you need to. The heavier the meal and the more you eat, the more energy required to digest it. The more energy, the more heat your body produces. Don’t be afraid to eat several meals throughout the day instead of sitting down to a couple large ones.

You can still have a hot meal if you just must. Don’t turn on the oven or even the stovetop. Drag out the slow cooker and cook your meal without having to heat the house and you don’t have to stand over it while it cooks. Another option is the air fryer. I purchased one a few years ago and have just loved it! It doesn’t take near as long as cooking something in the oven and is healthier than deep frying. One final option is the Instapot. It cooks in a fraction of the time by using pressurized cooking.

Anything with a high water content is a great option. Cucumber is a great choice for this. Not only is it 96% water, it also has cooling properties that can easily help keep your temperature down in the hot summer months. Watermelon and coconut are other wonderful options. Not only are they made mostly of water, they also contains electrolytes that will help replenish minerals lost while sweating. While watermelons are one of the best, any melon is good as they are all quick to help you hydrate and full of nutrients your body needs. Leafy green veggies like spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, and cabbage are all very high in water content, especially when eaten raw.

Water content is not the only thing that will help though. Avocados contain mono-saturated fatty acids, which can help to remove excess heat and toxins from your blood. They also digest easily so they don’t burn much energy. Bananas contribute to shrinking of tissues, which actually allows for more water absorption while also allowing your body to store it longer. Any citrus fruits contain antioxidants and vitamin C. The antioxidants can help to provide a cooling effect on the body and vitamin C replenishes lost energy.

Don’t forget about the spices as well. It’s part of your food and some of them have cooling properties as well. Active compounds present in cardamom can detoxify unwanted chemicals and toxins from the body. This tones down the body heat from within. The powerful antioxidants in fennel, such as vitamin C and quercetin, can help reduce inflammation and levels of inflammatory markers thereby reducing body heat. Coriander has diaphoretic properties which aids in inducing perspiration and brings down the inner temperature, and keeps it cool and fresh. Mint contains menthol, an aromatic compound with sweet and spicy flavors. Menthol triggers cold-sensitive receptors in the skin, resulting in a cooling sensation that feels super fresh.

These salads are all chock full of ingredients that will help keep your temperature down, both your body temp and the temp in the house because you are not cooking. The great thing about salads is they are highly adjustable. Don’t like an ingredient? Replace it. Want to add bacon? Do it. Do you want cucumber in your salad? Add it! It’s so easy to change them up. Make your grocery list and hit the store. Then, meet me in the kitchen for these easy cooling salad recipes!

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Easy Corn Salad

¼-½ cup mayonnaise, to taste 2 Tbsps. red wine vinegar ¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp. black pepper ¼ tsp. garlic powder 3 cups frozen sweet corn, thawed and drained 1 medium onion, diced 1 medium orange bell pepper, seeded and diced 2 Roma tomatoes, diced In large bowl, make dressing by whisking mayo, vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic powder together. Add in corn, onion, pepper and tomatoes. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust flavor as desired from mayo to seasonings. Refrigerate for an hour or two to allow the flavors to develop. Taste again and add any additional salt and pepper as desired. Served chilled. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Recipe adapted from southernbite.com.

— Parrothead Salad

½lb blueberries, fresh 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved 1 head Romaine lettuce 1 15oz can mandarin oranges in light syrup, drained ½ cup dried cherries ¼ cup red onion ½lb strawberries, fresh ¼ cup almond slivers, toasted (optional) Add all ingredients to bowl and toss to combine. I ate this with no dressing because it was just that good. However, topping it with a raspberry or strawberry vinaigrette or a poppy seed dressing would be good too.

Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com.

— Bruschetta Salad

6 Roma tomatoes, sliced into long quarters 1 head Romaine lettuce ½lb mozzarella balls 1 cup crushed garlic-flavored pita chips or croutons ½ cup torn fresh basil leaves ½ red onion, diced ¼ cup light olive oil 3 Tbsps. red wine vinegar 2 large cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp. dried basil Salt and pepper to taste Combine tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, crushed chips, basil, red onion, olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, basil, salt and pepper together in bowl. Toss until evenly combined. Refrigerate until chilled, 15 to 30 minutes.

Recipe adapted from forkinthekitchen. com. — Melon Salad with Honey Yogurt Dressing 8-12oz vanilla flavor yogurt 3-6 Tbsps. honey, to taste 8 cups seedless watermelon, cubed and drained 1 cantaloupe, cubed and drained 5 cups strawberries, halved 1 cup grapes, washed and halved 1 cup real cherries, pitted and halved 1 15oz can mandarin oranges in light syrup, drained Mix yogurt and honey in large bowl. Start with smaller amounts of each. Taste mixture and add honey 1 tablespoon at a time until desired flavor is reached. Add all fruits and mix well to combine. If you think it needs more dressing, add more yogurt and honey to taste. Feel free to add any other fruits to your liking. Blackberries, blueberries and raspberries are all great choices to add to this salad.

Recipe adapted from buythiscookthat. com.