13 Healthy Summer Dinner Recipes

Now is a great time to expand your culinary repertoire.

When the summer heat rolls in, the last thing anyone wants to do is turn on the oven. Fortunately, the season’s bounty makes it easy to whip up fresh, nutritious and delicious meals.

Take advantage of fresh, seasonal produce to create quick, healthy summer meals that are full of flavor and light on effort. From cold soups and grain bowls to no-cook sandwiches and grilled favorites, these ideas are perfect for hot days when you want something fast, fresh, satisfying and packed with nutrition.

Celebrate local produce.

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy farm-fresh fruits and vegetables. Whether you grow your own, join a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program or shop at farmers markets, locally grown produce tends to be more flavorful, more nutritious and better for the planet. Shorter transportation times mean fewer emissions and a :smaller carbon footprint.

Fresh ingredients are also the cornerstone of healthy eating, making summer the ideal season to enjoy vibrant salads, grilled vegetables and no-cook dishes that are as easy to prepare as they are delicious. What a great way to enjoy more vegetables in your diet.

Kick off summer the healthy way with these 13 quick and easy meal ideas that feature the season’s bounty and are chock full of good nutrition.

Gazpacho: a cool, refreshing classic

Gazpacho, the chilled soup born in southern Spain, is a warm-weather staple — and for good reason. Its base is typically tomato, but variations abound depending on the season’s offerings. Try blending avocado and cucumber, sweet corn and zucchini, or mango with heirloom tomatoes for a refreshing twist.

There are so many options, depending on your preferences.

“Gazpacho is always on trend during the summer, but why not try some variations beyond the classic,” says Jessica Levinson, a New-York based dietitian and author of “52-Week Meal Planner.” “My family loves watermelon gazpacho, made by pureeing watermelon, cucumbers, lime juice and white wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, and serve with chopped scallions and cilantro.”

Try a fruit or veggie “carpaccio”

A plant-based riff on the traditional raw beef dish, fruit or veggie carpaccio is as pretty as it is tasty. A lovely way to plan a meal is to start with a healthy plant lover’s version of traditional raw beef carpaccio.

“I often make it with fruits, like thinly sliced avocado, figs and radish drizzled with a spiced lime vinaigrette or grilled eggplant topped with fresh tomato-basil salsa and top it with a plant-based cheese or your favorite cheese” says Jackie Newgent, Los Angeles-based plant-forward culinary nutritionist, chef and author of “The Plant-Based Diabetes Cookbook.”

It also works well with colorful roasted beets sprinkled with lemony tahini dressing. And it’s not just for plant lovers, meat eaters love it, too. The result is a colorful, nutrient-dense dish that works beautifully as an appetizer or light entrée.

Top it with a salad

A quick way to elevate your dinner is to top grilled fish, chicken, tofu or beef with a fresh, crisp salad.

Ellie Kreiger, culinary nutritionist and Food Network and PBS television host loves to put a salad on grilled protein. “Gather your favorite greens — kale, arugula, cilantro and any other vegetables and toss with a light lemon vinaigrette then mound them on the grilled protein for a fun, fast and delicious easy meal.”

Kreiger loves lemon vinaigrette in summer but any kind of vinegar will do. Rice vinegar with ginger and sesame oil adds a lovely Asian flavor to the greens. The combination of warm protein and cool greens makes for a balanced, satisfying plate.

Fish on the grill or en papillote

Nutrition experts rave about the delicious and nutritious foods from the Mediterranean region. The cuisine is simple and features traditional healthful fare that’s highly pleasing to the palate.

“You can easily continue to follow it through the summer months,” Levinson notes. You can do this by grilling fish or grill-baking it with seasonings in a pouch (typically made of parchment paper) to seal in flavor, a method of cooking called en papillote.

“Grilled salmon on a cedar plank or making a delicate white fish en papillote with farm-fresh vegetables, fresh herbs and a drizzle of olive oil and lemon will make you feel like you’re on a fancy Mediterranean vacation in your own backyard,” Levinson says. It locks in moisture and flavor while requiring little cleanup.

Switch up the sauce

Even the most dependable grilled chicken or tofu can feel new again with the right sauce. Sometimes just switching up one aspect of the same old food leads to delightfully different taste treat. If you’re in a grilling rut, next time pair your classic favorites with a fun sauce for global intrigue.

“One of my favorites is a Kung Pao drizzle sauce that I usually make with tart cherry or orange juice, tamari, date syrup, hoisin sauce, unrefined sesame oil, rice vinegar, sriracha and ginger, simmering it until slightly reduced. It’s amazing over grilled asparagus or tofu,” says Newgent.

Bean power

Dinner from the pantry with your favorite canned beans — any kind, white cannellini, chick peas or black beans — is a great base for a high protein, low-calorie meal.

“I start with beans, add whichever kind of veggies I have on hand, then toss in an aromatic scallion, red onion or sweet onion and toss it all together with a vinaigrette,” says Kreiger. Her formula: oil, acid (such as vinegar or lemon), veggies, beans and aromatics are the winning combination.

No-cook sandwich

When it’s too hot to cook, sandwiches save the day. Newgent loves to take a break from cooking and make a simple sandwich that can be served on bread, pita, a wrap, tortilla or a lettuce leaf.

“When you’re in the mood for a sandwich at dinnertime or just don’t want to cook, my go-to is a pulse-based “egg salad” sandwich, no egg boiling required,” says Newgent. She makes her vegan egg salad with both chickpeas and cannellini beans combined with vegan mayo, nutritional yeast (or nooch), lemon juice, mustard, turmeric and whatever else you like. The combination of beans makes it so satisfying.

Summer vegetable sauté

Cook once and eat multiple times with this farmers market delight of fresh veggies. Kreiger’s go-to dish all summer long is one that features fresh-picked corn, ripe tomatoes, zucchini and basil.

“This vegetable sauté is a savory, sweet, floral and full of the fresh flavors and brilliant colors of the season. I serve it as a side with grilled chicken or fish, or in an omelet or frittata, with an egg on top, or tossed with pasta, beans, mini mozzarella balls and an olive oil, red wine vinegar and oregano dressing. I even eat it right out of the refrigerator as a snack,” says Kreiger.

Pasta salad is a staple in the Kreiger household. “I like to make a picnic pasta salad using ingredients that won’t wilt in the heat like any cooked or grilled leftover vegetables, beans, tomatoes, peppers and some crumbled cheese,” says Kreiger.

Another summer favorite? Slaws. Cabbage lasts a long time in the refrigerator and serves as a crunchy, cool base. Add shredded carrots, chopped apples, herbs and a tangy dressing, and you’ve got a salad that works just as well in fish tacos or turkey burgers as it does on its own.

Salads with grilled fruit

Leafy greens get an upgrade with the addition of grilled fruit. Entrée salads are a perfect way to serve up more of nature’s bounty.

“I like giving leafy salads a summery upgrade with grilled fruit, like strawberries or golden kiwis. It adds an exciting sweet and smoky flavor, bonus nutrition, and pops of color to an otherwise simple side,” says Newgent. She tosses in fresh mint leaves, crunchy pistachios and then dollops with soft cashew cheese to make her salad the star of the dinner table.

If you want to make the salad heartier, Newgent suggests topping each serving with a grilled protein pick of choice, like grilled extra-firm tofu wedges, Italian sausage-style plant-based link slice, or plant-based chick’n nuggets — or for the non-vegetarians, grilled fish, shellfish or chicken.

Grain salads that go the distance

Whole grains like farro, chickpea pasta, quinoa and more are begging to be paired with farmers market produce finds.

A perfect grain salad for summer, says Levinson, is a corn, black bean, tomato, cheese and basil quinoa salad. “Toss fresh-off-the-cob corn with grape tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella balls and cooked quinoa along with some black beans for even more plant-based protein power.”

It is delicious on its own or try it over a bed of mixed greens with fresh herbs. Kreiger always keeps frozen shrimp in her freezer to add to grain salads, summer rolls, summer vegetable saute, fish tacos or green salads. “They defrost quickly under running water and are so good for quick summer meals,” she adds.

Summer rolls

Sometimes you just don’t have time to eat dinner with a knife and fork. How about a easy to prepare rice paper wrappers filled with veggies, avocado, shrimp or anything on hand?

“Summer rolls are a current favorite of mine,” says Leanne Ray, a Denver-based dietitian. “No cooking required, and they can be customized based on what you have on hand.”

Her suggestion? Fill rice paper wrappers with pre-cooked shrimp and your favorite vegetables, then roll them up and serve with a simple homemade or store-bought peanut sauce.

Grilled protein skewers

For whatever reason, putting food on a stick seems especially apropos to the fun dining al fresco summer season.

“Anything on a skewer screams summer,” Ray says. As a general rule, she advises skewering foods with a similar cook time and cut to similar size pieces to ensure a safe level of doneness for everything and to limit excess char on some quicker-cooking items. “Try chicken breast marinated in olive oil, cilantro, garlic and lime juice,” she recommends, “then pair with your favorite seasonal vegetables.”

Dinner on a board

Boards are all the rage and don’t have to be just for appetizers. Consider a dinner board.

“When all else fails, a snack board can easily save a ‘cereal for dinner’ type of night,” Ray says. Her favorite boarded combination is burrata, a soft fresh Italian cheese, “paired with thick slices of tomatoes, crusty French bread and a cold glass of rosé. Sometimes the simplest meals are the most memorable.”

Healthy summer meals

Healthy summer meals don’t have to be complicated. With fresh produce, a few pantry staples, and smart shortcuts, you can serve up delicious meals without breaking a sweat. Whether you’re grilling outside, blending up cold soups, or skipping the stove entirely, these ideas will keep your summer meals light, fun, and full of flavor.

Healthy summer dinner options:

— Gazpacho: a cool, refreshing classic

— Try a fruit or veggie “carpaccio”

— Top it with a salad

— Fish grilled or en papillote

— Switch up the sauce

— Bean power

— No cook sandwich

— Summer vegetable sauté or slaws

— Salads with grilled fruit

— Grain salads that go the distance

— Summer rolls