Mama Nourish

Summer is a season full of sunshine, sweat... and of course—stubborn food myths! From believing icy drinks are a must to skipping meals in the name of staying “light,” there's no shortage of advice floating around this time of year. You've probably also heard claims like "watermelon is just water,” or “nuts are too heavy for hot days.” But how much of this advice is actually rooted in truth, and how much is just seasonal hearsay?  Let’s find out and set the record straight on what our bodies really need in the summer by busting these summer eating myths! 1. You Should Eat Less in the Summer  Losing appetite in the hot summer is common, but slashing food intake drastically can lead to nutrient gaps, low energy, and dizziness, especially when you’re losing more fluids and minerals through sweat.  Moreover, relying only on fruits or juices for meals misses out on balanced macronutrients like protein and fibre, essential for steady energy and metabolic health. Besides getting enough protein and fibre helps prevent blood sugar spikes and keep energy stable, even in summer, so enough protein & fibre intake is a must. What to Do Instead of Skipping Meals? Rather than skipping meals, aim for light, frequent, and balanced meals. Traditional Indian summer staples like moong dal khichdi, lauki curry, or curd rice are ideal—they’re light on the stomach, easy to digest, yet packed with nutrients. Moong Dal Khichdi     Curd Rice Plus, adding seasonal & local fruits and berries to your diet is a good option as it keeps you hydrated & energised & makes meals wholesome.  Ultimately, you should listen to your body and focus on balanced nutrition instead of skipping meals. 2. Myth: Nuts Are Too “Hot” for Summer Nuts do have a natural warming effect. However, they are powerhouses of healthy fats, protein, fibre, magnesium, and vitamin E—nutrients that are crucial year-round for heart health, skin repair, and sustained energy.  Avoiding them completely can deprive your body of essential micronutrients, especially in a season when dehydration and sun exposure can take a toll on your health. What To Instead of Avoiding Nuts Completely? You can soak nuts like almonds overnight—in fact, soaking nuts & having them in the morning is commonly practised in many Indian households. It's a smarter approach, especially in summer. Limit portion sizes (5–8 nuts a day) if you’re worried about heat, but don’t cut them out completely. You can make healthy snacks with nuts & add them to your diet. 3. Cool Drinks (Iced Beverages) & Ice Creams Are a Must for Cooling While it’s tempting to sip on chilled sodas, cold coffees, iced teas or having ice creams on a hot day, these often contain excess sugar and can shock your digestive system, weakening digestion and sometimes causing bloating. Besides, excessive caffeine can dehydrate. What are the Better Options? Opt for natural coolers like buttermilk (chaas), aam panna, sattu drink and nimbu pani with cooling seeds. Herbal infusions like mint water or lemon water are excellent for staying cool naturally. Drink water at room temperature or slightly cool, not ice cold, for optimal hydration. 4. Dates Should Be Avoided in Summer Dates are often labelled as a winter food because they’re warming. But they also provide essential minerals like iron and potassium, which help replenish the body, especially if you’re sweating a lot. Potassium-rich foods like dates help in muscle function and hydration balance. Ways to Eat Dates in Summer? Have dates in moderation—1–2 dates a day won’t harm and can actually help restore electrolytes. By making healthy snacks Blend dates into a cooling smoothie with yoghurt and banana. 5. Eating Raw Food Is Always Better in Summer Raw fruits and veggies are hydrating, but an all-raw diet can strain digestion, particularly in humid climates. While raw foods are cooling, they need to be balanced with light-cooked foods to maintain digestive strength.  Cooking lightly can increase the bioavailability of some nutrients, for example, lycopene in tomatoes. The risk of contamination is always there for raw foods due to microbial growth if not stored properly. A good summer plate mixes raw salads with steamed or sautéed seasonal vegetables. 6. Drinking Water Alone is Enough for Hydration Water is definitely required, but drinking water alone is not sufficient for summer. The body requires minerals like potassium, sodium, etc., plus other nutrients as well. Hence, you need to add diverse sources for hydration & essential nutrients. What Else to Eat / Drink for Hydration?  Eating local & seasonal fruits with high water content—watermelon, oranges, etc. Drinking coconut water, herbal-infused water, and lemon water as discussed earlier. 7. Watermelon Lacks Any Nutrients  It's a general belief that watermelon is just about water content. Even though it contains around 90 % water, it's also packed with other nutrients like potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, etc. The following table shows the nutritional profile of watermelon  Watermelon: Nutritional Facts  Nutrient Amount  Key Benefits Calories 30 kcal  Low in calories; supports weight management Water Content ~91% Excellent for hydration Carbohydrates 7.6 g, provide natural energy Sugars 6.2 g Natural sugars  Dietary Fiber 0.4 g Aids digestion Protein 0.6 g Minor, but contributes to daily intake Fat 0.2 g Very low Vitamin C 8.1 mg (9% DV) Boosts immunity and skin health Vitamin A (beta-carotene) 28 µg (3% DV) Supports vision and skin repair Potassium 112 mg (2% DV) Helps maintain fluid balance and muscle function Magnesium 10 mg (3% DV) Important for muscle  Lycopene ~4532 µg Potent antioxidant for heart and skin health Final Foodie Thoughts! Staying healthy in summer isn’t about cutting out foods or drinking lots of water—it’s about making mindful choices that support hydration, digestion, and energy levels. By opting for balanced nutrition, you can enjoy the season without falling for misleading myths.

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Summer in India brings intense heat, and staying cool requires more than just air conditioning—it starts with what you eat and drink. The right summer foods can help regulate body temperature, prevent dehydration, and keep energy levels high. In this article, we’ll explore the best summer foods and drinks, traditionally eaten in India.  Whether you're looking for hydrating fruits, cooling vegetables, or refreshing summer drinks—here is a list of the best food for summer season in India to make your job easier. 1. Coconut (Nariyal) – The Ultimate Summer Superfood The coconut is rich in electrolytes, healthy fats, and cooling in nature, making it one of the best summer foods in India. It can be consumed by drinking fresh coconut water, eating tender coconut flesh, or using coconut milk in smoothies or even in light curries. You can also enjoy the goodness of coconuts by having them as snacks like coconut laddu. Coconuts are known for preventing dehydration, improving digestion, and replenishing lost minerals. Coconut water is a source of minerals like potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium and natural electrolytes. It not only prevents dehydration but is also known to balance pH levels and improve skin health. 1 cup ( 240ml) of coconut water contains around 19 calories.  2. Melons  – Nature’s Hydration Booster The watermelon has 90% water content, making it one of the best food in summer India to beat the summer heat. It also contains vitamins A and C. Eat fresh slices or blend them into juice for hydration and energy. Another option is to include them in fruit salads. Watermelon Prevents heat strokes, flushes out toxins, and keeps skin glowing! Watermelon pieces per cup provide around 46 calories. You can also have musk melon. It's juicy & great to make refreshing summer drinks. The Muskmelon juice of 250ml typically provides about 31 calories. 3. Mango – The King of Fruits How can the summer be complete without juicy, ripe mangoes? Mangoes are undoubtedly one best food for summer in india. These mangoes are high in fibre, vitamin A, and natural sugars for instant energy. The ripe mangoes are great for making shakes or just dicing in fruit bowls. The mangoes are known to boost immunity, support digestion, and provide natural hydration.  1 cup of fresh mangoes has about 99 calories.  You can also make Aam Panna & mango juice. A typical mango juice 1 glass (250 ml) has around 128 calories. On the other hand, Aam Panna, made with raw mangoes, jaggery & spices, provides about 118 calories per serving. 4. Bael Sharbat (Wood Apple) – The Ayurvedic Summer Treat Traditionally, Bael is a much-loved summer fruit in many parts of India. It's cooling and rich in fibre, great for digestion. The best way to have them is by making Bael Sharbat (wood apple juice) as a natural summer cooler. Traditionally, bael is known to prevent heat strokes, soothe stomach ulcers, and promote gut health. 1 glass of bael sharbat provides about 122 cal.  5. Papaya (Papita) – A Summer Digestive Aid Another summer fruit that's counted as one of the best food to eat in summer in India– is papaya. The papaya Contains papain enzyme, which improves digestion. You can eat fresh papaya slices, blend them into smoothies, or mix them in fruit salads. It is known to prevent bloating, support skin health, and keep the body hydrated. 1 cup of papaya pieces has around 62 calories. 6. Pineapple– The Tropical Cooling Fruit Pineapple is best to enjoy fresh, in juices, or as part of fruit salads. The pineapple chunks are not just hydrating but also super delicious. They are even used to make sweet curries. Packed with bromelain, a natural anti-inflammatory enzyme. It is known to reduce inflammation, support digestion, and refresh the body.  1 cup ( 165g) of Pineapple chunks contains about 82 calories. 7. Citrus Fruits – Boost Your Immunity Amidst of Hot Days The citrus fruits, ranging from lemon to oranges, are great to have in summer. Citrus Fruits are one of the best  sources of  vitamin C, which helps to boost immunity. You can enjoy juicy oranges or tangy drinks with melons as summer refreshments. The oranges contain a per cent of water content. 250ml orange juice contains about 118 calories but can be way higher when it is store-bought. On the other hand, a medium-sized orange generally has about 60 to 70 calories. 8. Cucumber (Kheera) – The Salad Essential  The cucumbers have 95% water content, making them perfect for cooling the body. The best way is to eat raw in salads, make cucumber raita or blend it into detox water. Cucumbers are known for benefits like detoxifying, promoting skin hydration, and aiding digestion.  A medium cucumber contains about 30 calories, and 1 cup of cucumber salad has about 49 calories. 9. Gourd vegetables – Summer Veggies for the Best Meals Eating the right summer vegetables can help lower body temperature and keep digestion light and smooth.  Some vegetables traditionally eaten in India include Bottle Gourd (Lauki), Bitter Gourd (Karela), Pointed Gourd (Parwal) & Ridge Gourd (Turai). The bottle gourd is generally high in water content and light on digestion. They are used to prepare lauki sabzi, soup, or lauki juice.  Another option is drinking karela juice or preparing lightly spiced karela stir-fry. Pointed Gourd, on the other hand, is also to digest and full of nutrients.  Add them to curries, dry stir-fries, or stuff and bake. Rigid gourds can also be turned into light curries. A small glass of Karela juice made by adding water, lemon juice & a pinch of salt contains about 15 cal. 10. Buttermilk (Chaas) – The Classic Indian Summer Drink Proper hydration is key during summer, and these natural Indian drinks help replenish electrolytes while keeping you refreshed. The buttermilk is Probiotic-rich, cooling, and great for digestion. The best time to drink buttermilk is after meals to aid digestion. They are known for Health Benefits like Preventing bloating, improving gut health, and cooling the body. 1 glass of buttermilk contains about 128 calories. 11. Jaljeera – The Tangy Cumin Cooler What's more fun than having a tangy zesty Jaljeera on a hot summer day? Plus, it's loaded with digestive spices like cumin and black salt. And the best time to drink it is Before meals to boost  The Jaljeera is known to prevent bloating, keep the stomach cool, and add instant refreshment. 200ml of Jaljeera drink has about 100 calories. 12. Thandai Thandai, the traditional Indian spiced milk, is a natural summer coolant. Made with a blend of nuts, seeds, saffron, and aromatic spices like cardamom and fennel, it has a cooling effect on the body.  This refreshing summer drink is often mixed with rose or saffron for added flavour and richness. 1 glass of thandai contains around 384 calories. Final Thoughts Eating the right summer fruits, vegetables, and drinks can help you stay cool, hydrated, and energized even during peak heat.  Coconut, cucumber, mango, melons, etc. are some of the best food to eat during summer in India; these foods are also easily available in the season. Like the old saying goes—the seasonal & local are the best.  So, what's your favourite Summer pick? Note: article is written for informational purpose only