Best and Worst Foods of Summer!
While the weather has been wreaking havoc on our immune systems, we can take an extra step to keep ourselves strong and healthy by eating smartly this summer. Below details a few of the best and worst foods to eat this summer. Let’s start with the Worst foods first…
Worst Foods:
1) Ice Cream sandwich:
What’s better than two cookies sandwiching vanilla ice cream, especially when the cookies are chocolate chip? Actually, pretty much anything else is better for you, because this treat usually packs nearly 500 calories and gets a 60% of its flavor from saturated fat.
A better idea: Make your own ice cream sandwiches using lower-fat sorbet and homemade oatmeal cookies. (Reminder: a standard scoop is about 1/2 cup, or 3 to 3.5 ounces.)
Better yet, skip the cookie and choose one of America’s Healthiest Ice Creams from www.health.com/health/gallery:
– Häagen-Dazs Mango Fat Free Sorbet: A blend of juicy, tropical mangoes
120 calories, 0 grams fat, 20% RDA vitamin A, 10% RDA vitamin C .
– Ben & Jerry’s Black Raspberry Swirl Low Fat Frozen Yogurt: Black raspberry yogurt with thick black raspberry swirls made with real black and red raspberries – 140 calories, 1.5 grams fat, 15% RDA calcium.
Many ingredients include hormone-free milk and fair-trade flavors. Nutrition pamphlets are available at Ben & Jerry’s counters, with several healthier choices—sorbets, frozen yogurts, and even full-fat ice creams without artificial ingredients.
– Baskin-Robbins Light Aloha Brownie Ice Cream: Light chocolate ice cream with ribbons of fudge and chunks of macadamia nut toffee – 160 calories, 5 grams fat, 10% RDA calcium.
Baskin-Robbins’s BRight Choices flavors (like Cappuccino Chip, Premium Churned Light Raspberry Chip, and various sorbets) are healthy takes on their classics. Though many Baskin-Robbins’ products had more artificial ingredients than the other contenders.
2) Fried dough:
A staple at summer fairs and carnivals, fried dough is simply nutritional napalm. It is essentially deep-fried flour, butter, shortening, and sugar but keep in mind that fried and battered foods are among the worst sources of trans fat. While trans fat can be tasty, it raises bad cholesterol, lowers the good kind, and can increase inflammation in your body.
3) Corn dogs:
The same goes with corn dogs at summer carnivals…anything deep-fried is usually best to avoid. But corn dogs pack about 20 grams of fat and loads of sodium.
A better idea: Choose a kosher hot dog under 150 calories and 14 grams of fat, and limit sodium to under 450 milligrams…and try it on a whole grain bun.
4) Onion rings:
Again with the fried food…Once onions are dipped in flour and eggs, thrown into a deep fryer, then salted, the outcome is high in trans fat and calories.
A much better idea: Coat sliced onions with egg whites and a mixture of grated Parmesan cheese, whole-wheat flour, and panko breadcrumbs. Spritz with cooking spray and bake in a 450 degree oven for about 15 minutes.
5) Lobster rolls
Lobster rolls may sound like a lean and healthy alternative to a hamburger, but lobster is mixed with mayonnaise, then nestled inside a well-buttered white bread bun for a fat-clogged sandwich that weighs in at over 400 calories, with over 50% of it from fat.
A better bet: Try making lobster rolls at home, where you can use just a dash of low-fat mayo, put them on a whole-wheat roll, and minimize the butter.
6) Fried clams
A few fried clams are fine to share with friends, but don’t make a meal of them. One 3/4 cup serving of this fried seafood packs nearly 500 calories and a whopping 26 grams of fat. A better bet is to eat them cooked but not deep-fried. Cooked clams contain protein and are one of the best sources of vitamin B12, which is vital for a healthy nervous system and to prevent anemia.
7) Ribs:
Ribs come in all shapes and sizes, but no matter how you cut them, restaurant ribs need to stay off your summer menu. A quarter pound of beef or pork ribs weigh in at 288 calories and are loaded with saturated fat, and that’s 
before you slather on barbecue sauce.
When cooking ribs at home, skip the sauce in favor low-fat spices like mustard, garlic, and chili powder. They’ll add delicious flavors without many calories. Before cooking, be sure to trim off all visible fat and keep portion sizes small.
8) Daiquiris:
Daiquiris sound light and refreshing, but their nutritional profile is big and bloated. An 8-ounce strawberry daiquiri, for example, packs more calories than a double-patty hamburger and is loaded with sugar! But there are plenty of healthier drinks to enjoy poolside, with or without alcohol.
Best Foods:
1) Corn on the Cob:
Corn on the cob without butter or salt is a high-fiber, low-calorie food. Consider shaving some off the cob into salads, using it for healthy salsas, and grilling it — minimize the butter and salt.
Tip: choose the yellow variety over the white kernels for added vitamin A.
2) Watermelon:
Melting some watermelon into your mouth is a great way to rehydrate after a long day in the sun. True to its name, watermelon is over 90% water. It is also a great source of lycopene (more than raw tomatoes), known for its cancer-fighting properties, and contains only 44 calories a cup.
3) Fresh Iced Tea:
Tea has zero calories and loads of antioxidants. To get the nutritional benefits of tea, you should make it yourself instead of buying it bottled. Black, white, or green, if you make your own using a tea bag, iced is just as beneficial as hot. Try adding a small amount of honey before icing if you want it sweet, and squeeze in some fresh lemon or lime.
4) Fruit salad:
Summer is peak season for colorful berries and fruit. Check our your local farmer’s market and purchase a variety of red, purple and blue fruit, which are potent sources of antioxidants and vitamins. Some, especially berries, pack up to one-third of your daily fiber needs per serving.
5) Gazpacho:
In the summer months, the last thing you want is to stir a pot over a hot stove and tuck into a steaming bowl of soup. But chilled soups are a perfect solution.
Gazpacho is filled with healthy ingredients like bell peppers, tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers, which make it a light yet flavorful soup. One cup is only 88 calories with 4 grams of fat and zero cholesterol.
6) Grilled chicken kabobs:
Easy to throw on the barbecue, chicken kabobs are packed with protein but low in calories, fat, and carbs. When you add veggies (like zucchini, bell peppers, and squash) to your skewer, you’ll add delicious, summery flavors and loads of antioxidants. Vitamin C-packed red bell peppers are a great addition, as they get even sweeter on the grill and a half-cup provides only 14 calories. Another option: Dip chicken skewers into yogurt sauces, add some spices.
7) Zucchini:
Raw, grilled, rolled, sliced or diced, zucchini is the perfect summer veggie. At only 20 calories per cup, it contains zero fat and cholesterol and 35% of your daily-recommended intake of vitamin C.
8) Shrimp cocktail:
Great for a mid-afternoon snack, as an appetizer at a party, or for a light lunch, shrimp are a high-protein and low-calorie way to get energized. They provide about 14% of your daily-recommended iron intake, and a 3.5 ounce serving is less than 100 calories. Top them on salads, eating them plain or grilled.
Primary Reference: http://www.health.com/food/17-best-and-worst-foods-of-summer