Summer fruits and vegetables are bursting with sunshine, vitamins and antioxidants. They help us fight against water retention and fatigue. Zoom on the 9 best and their health benefits.
Tomatoes, peaches, apricots, melons… All summer fruits and vegetables are particularly rich in vitamins and minerals ! Indispensable to keep in shape or find it! Some also guarantee good hydration, thanks to their high water content. This makes them ideal products to cook on hot days during the summer months. Moreover, many of our superfoods are low in calories, which makes them allies for your summer diets. Among them, cucumber, zucchini or even green beans. Good news, a number of summer superfoods prevent water retention because they are high in potassium and low in sodium. This is the case of zucchini or melon for example! But there are other diuretic superfoods that prevent summer bloating, such as peach. Overview of the best.
1. Peach, prevent swelling
The peach is a refreshing and thirst-quenching fruit, but also diuretic (it prevents you from swelling). In addition, its caloric content is low. Ideal to keep the line this summer! As it is also rich in antioxidants (vitamin C and A), this superfood is one of the stars of your summer.
• Consume raw, associated with other fruits, or with fresh herbs (mint, basil…) as an accompaniment.
2. Tomato, an antioxidant good for the skin
Tomato is the food richest in lycopene. This antioxidant is particularly effective against free radicals. This gives it effective virtues against the harmful effects of the sun. It is delicious plain with olive oil and basil. However, to make the most of its antioxidant power, eat the tomato cooked, combining it with fats or reduced to a coulis.
• The good idea : combine it with peppers and zucchini, eggplant, to make a ratatouille, a tasty and healthy dish!
3. Melon (or watermelon), thirst quencher and diuretic
The melon is a fruit rich in water and therefore very thirst-quenching. It is low in calories and rich in vitamin C and beta-carotene, powerful antioxidants. It is also rich in potassium, which makes it a good diuretic.
• Advice : do not serve it too cold because it becomes less tasty and less digestible.
4. Cucumber, anti-water retention
Very rich in water, the cucumber is very thirst-quenching and has anti-water retention properties. It is also low in calories and rich in vitamins and minerals, including copper. Incorporate it raw into fresh salads (with tomatoes, olives, feta and olive oil, for example). It is also tasty cooked, cut into small pieces and steamed or stewed.
5. Apricot, rich in vitamin A
The apricot, with its sweet and juicy flesh, is one of the richest fruits in provitamin A or carotene. For this reason, this summer fruit helps you to look golden and keep it! Bite it plain, or prepare it as a dessert with lemon or spices
6. Zucchini, rich in potassium
Rich in water, very low in calories, naturally diuretic thanks to its high potassium content and low sodium content, zucchini is also rich in vitamin C and vitamin B9. It’s your summer vegetable with green beans!
To be eaten raw, fried, steamed. It goes very well with lamb meat, peppers, fresh herbs…
7. Bilberry, ideal against free radicals
Blueberries are rich in anthocyanins, vitamins C and E, powerful antioxidants. They help neutralize free radicals and help us protect our skin from the sun and delay aging. As it is also low in calories, make it one of the fruits of your summer. It is delicious plain, in a pie, incorporated into cakes.
8. Green beans, super antioxidant
Low in calories, rich in water and vitamin C, an interesting source of group B vitamins and trace elements (zinc, copper, selenium…), this is what makes green beans a super-vegetable! It protects your skin from free radicals, re-mineralizes you, hydrates you. It is as good hot as it is cold!
• Trick : steam it to preserve its nutrients
9. Bell pepper, rich in carotenoids
This summer fruit vegetable is low in calories, made up of more than 90% water. Its skin and flesh are rich in carotenoids, flavonoids and vitamin C, very antioxidant substances. Anti-aging effect guaranteed! It also offers many minerals and trace elements.
• To know : red pepper is the richest in antioxidants, it is also the most suitable for cooking with its mild and almost sweet taste.