5 Top Healthy Foods to Beat the Heat This Summer

Sometimes, the sweltering heat can be too much even for us locals, and we are constantly trying to find ways to beat the heat. Oftentimes, a lot of people end up going to one of our many shopping malls which usually has everything from shops, restaurants, arcades and movie theaters, in the hopes of killing time indoors instead of dealing with the heat. The problem is this is the convenience to unhealthy snacks like milk tea, ice cream, and fast food. Need to cool down without the extra calories? Here's how:

Popsicles - A scoop of plain vanilla ice cream can be as much as 170 calories, and even more if you go for other flavors that include a lot of extras. Instead of having an ice cream cone a day, opt for a popsicle instead. These only contain about 40 calories and have the same, if not more, cooling powers than regular ice cream.

Frozen fruit - An even better option would be to throw your favorite fruits in the freezer, and take out whenever you need to cool down. The best options are grapes, watermelon and mangoes, but try to keep apples away from the freezer as they tend to get brown and soggy. You will be so full and so refreshed from one cup of your favorite fruit, you won't believe everything you ate was less than 100 calories.

Salad - To you vegetable haters out there, you will love eating salad during the summer! It is nice and cool straight out of the refrigerator and even more so if you add other refreshing fruits and vegetables to the mix. Add chunks of avocado or chopped cucumber and finish off with a light vinaigrette, or even just simple lemon juice, instead of a heavy cream based dressing.

Smoothies - Say "no thank you" to fatty cream filled milkshakes and opt for its healthier cousin, the smoothie. Instead of ice cream and whole milk, use yogurt or soy milk, lots of ice cubes and tons of fresh fruit. A healthy, filling and refreshing breakfast would be a banana peanut butter smoothie with toasted oatmeal. Just blend together with soy milk and voila, a meal!

Taho - At only 54 calories per serving, cold taho is a great summer cooler. The hint of sweetness from the syrup doesn't hurt either. Indulge in this great snack if you need something to tide you over between lunch and dinner!

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