In Season: Cooling Fruits & Veggies
As temperatures rise in the city this week, enlist some foods with a hydrating, cooling quality to help you beat the heat and stay energized. Green foods like mint, cucumber, lettuce, and kale pair well with melons, citrus, and berries to produce light meals that skip a lot of fussy food prep and save you on dishes.
Salads, smoothies, and raw veggies with dip feature heavily in the VFM staff summer rotation, but for true hydration, check out Style By Beauty’s flavoured water recipes, featured recently on their lifestyle blog.
We’ve all stuck some cucumber and mint in our water from time to time, but Style’s Oz and Tarah take it to another level with the addition of berries, citrus, and raw honey. Read their full post about their flavoured waters here.
For something more substantial, try local food blogger Sara Steven’s (a.k.a. The Forest & Fig) Mint Greens Smoothie (recipe below). You can pick up most of the ingredients from Natural Village, Cropthorne Farm, or Sole Food at Main St. Station Farmers Market on Wednesday.
No time to make your own? Pick up a ready-to-blend Crimson Wave smoothie mix from The Good Stuff – they’ll be at Downtown Farmers Market this Thursday with a range of pre-made smoothies that are as healthy as they are convenient.
Mint Greens Smoothie
- 1 handful kale
- 1 handful spinach
- 1/2 a medium cucumber, roughly chopped
- 1 lime (peeled and halved)
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1 apple (cored & sliced)
- 2 cups water
Blend it up & enjoy!
