Summer is here in all its glory and as the mercury climbs up, it is usual to experience a decline in appetite. Nutrition experts recommend cooling and hydrating foods in hot summer days to take care of gut health and improve appetite. To beat the heatwave and stay refreshed, salads can be a wonderful addition to your summer diet. Full of water content, fibre and important vitamins and minerals, salads can add a wealth of micronutrients to your diet and can also whet appetite. 

Besides, salads can be turned into one-bowl meals or snacks that can reduce your trips to the kitchen. Balancing them with protein, complex carbs, healthy fats and other nutrients can help boost your immunity and protect against summer illnesses. Whether you are a cucumber lover, like all things minty or like fruity flavours, there's a wide variety of salads you can experiment with.

Salads have a unique connection with summers. They are helpful in providing nutrition to the body, keeping it hydrated, maintaining the right gut health and slashing down the intake of calories. According to health experts, it is advisable to consume two whole servings of salads in a day to receive maximum benefits.

In terms hydration and different health benefits, here are the five salads suggested by Rhea Shroff Ekhlas, Nutrition & Fitness Expert, and Founder of BubbleFig, that must be consumed during the summer season:

SUMMER SALADS YOU MUST HAVE

1. Smashed cucumber mint salad

Cucumbers are the sweethearts of summer. Prepared by smashing cucumbers along with mashed potatoes, tomato, and onions, this salad is sprinkled with mint which leaves the mouth delighted with taste and the body charged with hydration.

2. Tomato paneer salad with stashed cheese

Prepared with a mouth-watering blend of tomatoes, cucumbers, paneer and paired with cheese this salad gives a dual advantage of taste and health. Tomatoes and cucumbers work out the hydration part while cheese and paneer pair up to offer an exquisite experience.

3. Watermelon salad with yoghurt dressing

Enriched with the hydration power of watermelon, this salad is a perfect choice to consider for summers. To elevate the taste, it can be blended with fruits like beets, carrots, and oranges and served with a dressing of creamy yoghurt.

4. Tomato cucumber salad sprinkled with mint and lemon

Veggies like cucumber, tomato, and mint are all beneficial for taste and health. Dive into the inexplicable taste of the salad that’s prepared with chopped cucumbers and tomatoes, sprinkled with mint and lemon to make summers seem deliciously extravagant.

5. Greek salad

Freshly prepared from sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, green bell pepper, and olives, Greek salad is a high prized diet for summers. Its timeless ingredients help the body regain the hydration which it loses during summers, along with leaving behind a tantalising taste.

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