News — Summer

Clean Eating Highlight: Summer Lunches

During the winter, we can’t help but reach for comfort foods. It’s cold and dreary outside and not only is your body working harder to keep warm, but your mood is probably down, making you more likely to reach for snacks in an attempt to raise your spirits. But summertime is another story. The sunny months of summer inspire fresh fruits and vegetables, garden salads, and light, clean meals. What a relief!

Your binder is stocked with dinner recipes suitable for a warm evening on the terrace, but what about lunch? Leftovers in a Tupperware container? Not so fun. There are plenty of clean eating lunch recipes that you can enjoy at home or at work over the summer.

Summer Salads

Celebrate summer with a fresh tossed salad topped with yummy summer fruits like watermelon, peaches, and cherries. Add some nuts, meat, and/or egg for protein and you’re golden! Here are some delicious-looking summer salad recipes:

  1. 17 Loaded Healthy Salads

This list of 17 salads is packed with fresh summer options, like the Spinach, Strawberry, and Peach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing, the Tropical Pineapple Salad, and the Summer Chicken Taco Salad. So many options!

  1. 10 Healthy Quinoa Salads

Not only is quinoa good for you, but it’s ridiculously easy to prepare, so you can throw any of these 10 quinoa-based salads together in no time. The Quinoa Salad with Roasted Corn and Mango sounds particularly appetizing.

  1. Thai Tuna Power Bowl 

Power Bowls are basically super salads. They’re untraditional in that there isn’t usually a leafy base. Instead, the bowl is just packed with veggies, some kind of protein, a type of grain (optional,) and a flavorful dressing. This one looks like a simple tuna fish salad upgrade that we would definitely be game for.

Wraps

Wraps are an obvious go-to for lunches. Step it up a notch with some delicious summer twists on the ol’ classic.

  1. Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps 

Is it obvious that we love Thai food yet? Ditch the flour tortillas and try these lettuce wraps instead. They’re packed with veggies and healthy ingredients, and they’re easy to make!

  1. Hummus Veggie Wrap

The great thing about a recipe like this is that you can customize it however you’d like, and change it up every week. All you need is a whole wheat tortilla, hummus, your veggies of choice, and maybe a little homemade balsamic dressing or a sprinkle or feta cheese to jazz things up a bit.

  1. Summer Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

It’s all in the name. These summer rolls are a perfect, healthy way to eat lunch when you have a little more time on your hands. Just slice up some veggies and follow the recipe for the dressing and how to wrap the rolls, and you’ve got yourself a fresh meal.

Eating healthy over the summer is important, and so is staying active! Check out Athlete Beyond for athletic apparel to compliment your healthy lifestyle.

The 5 Best Summer Workouts for Men and Women

Summer is in full swing, and you know what all this beautiful weather means: time to get outside and get moving. Whether or not you’ve spent the better half of this year hiding inside on the couch, take advantage of the sunshine and channel some serious summer energy to get in shape. Looking for some awesome summer workouts? These are our top 5 summer workouts for men and women—they’re perfect for anyone! Check it out:

  1. Get Fit Summer Challenge

This summer body challenge by Buzzfeed is at the top of our list because it’s so detailed. They give you a workout for every day of your routine that combines strength and cardio. They’ve also gone the extra mile to include 25 healthy recipes to eat while you’re on the plan, and we all know how important a healthy diet is! They even help you decide what meals are best for your activity level—Buzzfeed really outdid themselves. This workout plan has it all.

  1. The Super Organized Full Body Schedule

Why do we love this summer workout schedule? It’s easy to follow and it’s thorough. Each workout is laid out for you in order: arms, abs, and legs. Every day you simply mix and match which area you’re focusing on—but it’s always the same simple workouts. Do this for a month and you’ll watch yourself get toned right before your eyes. Then repeat until the summer is over and the leaves start to fall.

  1. Ultimate Summer Workout Plan 

This workout plan by Active stresses the importance of commitment and consistency. They encourage you to use this plan as a starting point, and to branch out and get creative from there to create your own personalized plan. The workout template incorporates just about every type of workout imaginable—from cardio to bodyweight calisthenics to hill and stair repeats. What better way to get committed than to make it your own? Brilliant.

  1. The Yogi’s Summer Plan

Have you always wanted to become a master yogi? Summertime is the perfect opportunity to take your mat outside and get stretching. This article by Yoga Journal has a fun step-by-step flow that’s perfect for summer, and it includes a video as well, which is always helpful to make sure you’re nailing those tricky moves.

  1. For Rainy Days 

It’s not always sunshine and butterflies during the months of summer. Rainy days are a drag, but that doesn’t mean you should skip your workout for the day! This indoor cardio routine will get you moving without having to leave the comfort of your home. Afterwards, you can hide in bed all day. We won’t judge you.

The best part about summer workouts? Showing off and taking advantage of your sweet workout clothes. Check out Athlete Beyond for performance athletic apparel that is equal parts efficient and stylish. Their sweat-wicking material will keep you dry all summer and it looks good. It’s a win-win!