6 must haves for a healthy summer

Yes, it's summer (as if you needed another reminder)! As the sweltering heat begins to take a toll on you, keeping yourself hydrated becomes a necessity. Here are some summer must-haves that will help you do just that.
Spill-proof water bottle
Get yourself a 1L or 750ml spill-proof water bottle. I prefer the dummy-proof, anti-spill-double-locking ones that do not spill even if you forget to close the lid. My favourite is the Avex bottle that actually requires you to press a button and hold down to drink. That has saved many accidents when the bottle went flying in the car or I didn't secure the lid in my gym bag. I like to either freeze or refrigerate the bottle overnight, half filled with water and then pack up with large blocks of ice during the day. I also refill my 1L bottle at least thrice during the day in order to be able to rehydrate adequately. To keep your beverages and food cooler for longer during the day, invest in a very good insulated cooler bag and some reusable freezer blocks.
Infused water pitcher
If you are a lover of infused water, this is the time to invest in a large infused water pitcher. These are the ones that have some sort of mechanism to prevent the solid items from coming out when you pour your water from the pitcher. Get creative with your water recipes. My favourite recipes always include lemon, ginger, cucumber and fresh mint leaves for a refreshing and gentle detox.
Spiraliser
Summer is definitely salad season. In fact, I will say summer is salad, soup and sandwich season - anything that does not require intense cooking and digestion. Soups can be light broth cooked once and reheated in serving portions during the week. Salads can be pre-washed and dried and kept in containers with a dry paper towel for extended storage. Since the weather calls for much lighter meals, you will want to add a spiraliser to your kitchen tools arsenal to craft swanky-looking salads with spiralised carrots and beets and fresh courgettes. You can also make courgette/zucchini noodles to swap out heavy pasta noodles for a significantly lighter, pasta-type meal.
Bento salad box
In order to travel with your salad to work, you should invest in a cute salad bento box that has separate sections for things like tomatoes, lemon wedges and vinaigrette. That way, you can have your salad fresh. I find these to be extremely handy and if you get at least two, you can always have an extra one in the fridge packed and ready to go. Investing in five or six of these allows you to fully prep for the entire week in advance.
Panini press
This is for all the sandwiches that will line hungry stomachs this season. If you love a hot, melted sandwich with cheese, this gadget is for you. Having a press is like having a speciality sandwich shop at home. These are great for hot breakfast or dinner sandwiches during the workdays and even for lunch, when you are home on your days off.
Toaster oven
To lighten up on your carbohydrate consumption, opt for open-faced sandwiches. These are sandwiches made on a single slice of toasted bread as a base and with the toppings exposed. Top with succulent juicy vegetables like tomatoes, avocados and cucumbers, and remember to season with salt. Himalayan Pink Salt or Maldon Sea Salt or Fleur de Sel will do quite nicely.
wknd@khaleejtimes.com