July is full swing, and the dog days of August are almost upon us. What’s a cook to do when the kitchen is sweltering – and the oven isn’t even on?

Grill it. Smoky, chargrilled dinners are a summertime staple. Invest in a grill pan and some skewers, and you can cook almost any food over a fire. When the food’s done, make s’mores by roasting marshmallows over the coals for a fun, summertime dessert. (If you have never made s’mores, read the how-to article on our sister site, Outdoors Eagle.)

Use a slow-cooker. It’s not just for cheese dip anymore! The internet abounds in recipes for the slowcooker, and almost any recipe, including bread, cakes, and casseroles can be adapted. It’s a very forgivable method of cooking, and food will stay hot, without getting burned, if that baseball game runs long. For an even cooler kitchen, set up a table outside on the patio or in the garage, and cook there. All you need is an electrical outlet!

Cook once, eat lots. When you do bake in the oven, make extra. Baking an extra fillet of salmon or some chicken breasts won’t make the kitchen any hotter but will save heating up the oven later. Use the extra for cold dishes such as sandwiches, chicken salad, or topping a bagel.

Eat raw. Salads are a natural fit for summertime. Get some ham, chicken, or turkey from the deli, open a can of beans, and wash up some greens to make a meal of it. Canned tuna and cannellini beans, or black beans and corn are great combos packed with protein. Put a stack of plates in the refrigerator to chill and enjoy a healthy, refreshing meal.

With these tasty ideas, there’s no reason to sweat your way through meals ever again. Happy summertime eats!

At school, I sit in the Student Activities Room with our student activities advisor and about six other people because the cafeteria is overcrowded and filled with a lot of freshmen and sophomores–not that I have anything against them. One day, I had to eat during the lunch before mine, or “second lunch”, and I decided that I would sit in there anyway. Apparently, there were a group of people who ate in that room just as I did during my regularly scheduled “third lunch,” so that was good; I wasn’t going to have to eat lunch all by myself!

So I was sitting there, eating my sandwich and talking to my advisor when the “second lunch” people all entered. All five of them were carrying salads in hopes of eating healthfully. However, literally, all they were eating was lettuce with dressing. The amount of calories in the ranch salad dressing probably cancelled out the purpose of eating just a salad. They probably should have had the balsamic vinaigrette or olive oil choice. In fact, greens provide generous amounts of the antioxidant lutein which could protect against macular degeneration, and lutein is absorbed much better with a splash of olive oil. Even though lettuce is healthy, you need more nutrition than just pieces of lettuce.

When you are making a salad, don’t just have the greens. A good salad can be so much more than lettuce, tomatoes, and dressing. Try adding some fruits! Fruits provide an abundance of good nutrients, such as vitamin C and potassium, and they help protect against diseases. The fiber in fruits can help lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Try adding in some nuts and seeds, onions, vegetable oils, seafood and other proteins, and more. Not only will your salad be healthier, but it will taste better as well!