The summer heat is a constant, but you shouldn't let yourself stay in a state of perpetual heat. Eating more vegetables can help you stay cool. Which vegetables have this effect? Follow us to find out! Summer is here, and the weather is getting hotter. Besides using the air conditioner and staying indoors, what other good ideas do you have to beat the heat? Actually, food is a great option. Today, this article recommends three types of vegetables you should eat more of in the summer to help you stay cool!
What vegetables to eat in the summer
The first category is gourds, such as winter melon, cucumber, bitter melon, and loofah.
From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, most gourds can clear heat and promote urination, helping to expel toxins. They are excellent foods for reducing body heat and preventing heatstroke. Modern nutritional research shows that most gourds contain over 90% water and are rich in various minerals and vitamins, effectively replenishing the large amounts of water and nutrients lost in the summer.
The second category is cooling vegetables, such as tomatoes, eggplant, celery, and lettuce.
Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that eating cooling vegetables in the summer helps to promote the production of body fluids to quench thirst, relieve restlessness and summer heat, clear heat and detoxify, and promote bowel movements.
The third category is vegetables with "antibacterial" properties, such as garlic and onions.
High summer temperatures provide a favorable environment for rapid bacteria growth and spread, making intestinal diseases more common. At this time, eating more "antibacterial" vegetables like chives, green onions, scallions, and garlic can help prevent illness.
Cooling and Heat-Relieving Porridges for Summer
1. Fresh Fruit Eight-Treasure Porridge
Ingredients: Oats, black glutinous rice, lotus seeds, buckwheat, red beans, red dates, Job's tears, goji berries, dried tangerine peel, black beans, Euryale ferox seeds, a little glutinous rice, and millet.
Instructions:
1. Rinse all ingredients with clean water, add boiling water, and simmer over low heat for 1.5 hours. Add rock sugar to taste!
2. The Eight-Treasure Porridge can be eaten hot. However, since the scorching summer heat is intense, the best way to enjoy it is to let it cool and serve it with fresh fruit or fresh milk!
2. Icy Pumpkin Porridge
Ingredients: Pumpkin, glutinous rice (glutinous rice is best, but japonica rice can be used as a substitute, though the texture will be much different), and some rock sugar if you prefer it sweet.
Instructions:
1. Take a small bowl of glutinous rice.
2. Cut the pumpkin into cubes or small pieces. The general ratio of glutinous rice to pumpkin is 1:3 or 1:2.
3. Put everything in a pot. Cook in a pressure cooker for 30 minutes (a smart pressure cooker is ideal). If using a gas stove, it only takes 25 minutes.
4. If you like it sweet, add some rock sugar to cook together. Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. Serve as desired.
3. Refreshing Vegetable and Bean Porridge
Ingredients: 1 stalk of celery, appropriate amount of sesame oil, appropriate amount of salt, 1 cup of raw rice, 6-8 cups of water, appropriate amount of red dates, appropriate amount of green beans, appropriate amount of minced ginger, appropriate amount of carrot, appropriate amount of mushrooms, appropriate amount of oil.
Instructions:
1. When selecting, choose green beans with thick pods and seeds that are not yet plump or protruding. If the pod has turned yellow, the seeds are mature and plump, or if the pod and seeds are separated, the beans are old and not suitable for purchase.
2. Cook the porridge: Bring the raw rice, water, and red dates to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and cook until the rice is 60% done.
3. Sauté: Heat oil in a wok. Sauté the green beans, minced ginger, carrot, and mushrooms until fragrant, then add them to the pot from step 1. Continue to cook until the rice is soft. Turn off the heat and let it stand for more than 10 minutes to make the rice grains softer.
4. Turn the heat back on, bring to a boil, add the seasonings and celery.