10 Easy No-Cook Recipes to Beat the Summer Heat Everyday Health MenuNewslettersSearch Diet & Nutrition 10 Easy No-Cook Recipes to Beat the Summer Heat You can score a delicious, nutritious summer meal or snack without ever turning on the oven or stove. Here’s how. By Lauren BedoskyMedically Reviewed by Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCESReviewed: June 16, 2020Medically Reviewed Ice cream — or its healthier counterpart nice cream — may just be the ultimate summer treat Jeff Wasserman/StocksyHot summer days call for a new approach to meal prep. “When it’s hot out, the last thing we want to do is turn on the oven,” says Julie Andrews, RD, an Appleton, Wisconsin–based food and nutrition consultant. Luckily, there are plenty of ways you can whip up a refreshing and often nutritious snack or meal without using any heat. “No-cook recipes like chicken salad, smoothies, tuna-stuffed avocados, and salads are super popular in the summer for this very reason,” Andrews says. Get creative with your no-cook summer recipes. Try lettuce wraps in place of toasted bread for sandwiches; experiment with different fruits, nuts, and seeds to keep salads feeling fresh; and turn frozen fruit into a dessert (more on this in a bit). To make things easier for yourself, Sarah Mirkin, RD, who’s based in Beverly Hills, California, recommends buying precooked beans, legumes, eggs, and meats (think: tuna and salmon packets, precooked shrimp, and deli meats) whenever possible. “It’s so easy to throw a tuna or salmon packet over a salad,” she says. Just keep in mind that because they’re precooked and have a longer shelf life than fresh foods, they may contain relatively more sodium (along with other preservatives). Eating too much sodium can contribute to heart disease and stroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The remedy: Pay attention to labels listing nutrition facts. For most adults, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends an ideal upper limit of 1,500 milligrams (mg) of sodium daily. Most Americans consume too much sodium, though, so simply trying to shave off 1,000 mg of your daily sodium intake, no matter where you’re starting, can help, the AHA advises. RELATED: 7 Tips for Reducing Salt Intake To get you started with your summer meal prep, we’ve rounded up 10 refreshing no-cook dishes. These recipes are both easy to make and loaded with nutrients.961 Raspberry Basil Nice Cream With Fresh Basil Live Eat LearnFew things scream “summer” like ice cream. For a healthier version of the classic summer treat, whip up this ice cream alternative from Live Eat Learn. Simply blend together frozen banana, raspberries (or blackberries, if preferred), and fresh basil, and you’ll have a frozen dessert ready in 5 to 10 minutes. One-quarter of this recipe provides 94 calories, 23.5 grams (g) carbohydrates, 1.5 g protein, and 4.2 g of fiber, or 15 percent of your daily value (DV). Plus, each serving equals roughly 1 serving of fruit, helping you make a dent in your daily serving of 1 to 2 cups of fruit, as recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).Get the Recipe962 Lemony Kale Salad with Chickpeas and Avocado The Kitchen GirlThis salad recipe from The Kitchen Girl may be simple — all you need is kale, chickpeas, and avocado — but it’s full of flavor. Not to mention, the raw ingredients it calls for make for a meal that is both naturally cooling and free of unhealthy additives. The kale base is a standout, nutritionally speaking: One cup of this super green provides 50.6 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin A — that’s about 6 percent of the DV, according to the USDA. A 1-cup serving of the whole recipe gives you 191.3 mcg of vitamin A, covering 21 percent of the DV. Vitamin A is important for keeping several of your organs functioning in tip-top shape and plays a particularly crucial role in maintaining vision health, notes the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Another thing that makes this recipe exciting is the opportunity for customization. Feel free to throw in any fresh ingredients in your fridge (consider: chopped bell peppers, snap peas, blueberries) or pantry (like dried fruit, hempseeds, walnuts). One cup of the whole salad provides 181 calories, 15 g fat, 11 g carbs, 4 g protein, and 15 g fat. RELATED: 10 of the Best Plant-Based Sources of ProteinGet the Recipe963 Crunchy Mini Crab Louie Lettuce Wraps Feasting At HomeCraving something with a crunch? Bypass the potato chips in favor of these fresh, bite-size lettuce wraps from Feasting at Home. Simply take butter lettuce leaves and top each with precooked Dungeness crab, avocado, cucumber, and radish, and then drizzle on homemade dressing (recipe included), and you’ll get a quick snack sure to satisfy. You can feel good about snacking here. A 3-ounce (oz) portion of Dungeness crab offers 19 g of protein, as well as 49.3 milligrams of magnesium, which is 12 percent of the DV, according to the USDA. Overall, the recipe provides 8 percent of your DV for this workhorse. Among its functions, the mineral magnesium helps keep blood sugar and pressure steady and build bones, and it allows your body to properly use protein, per the NIH. Each wrap has 159 calories, 8.7 g fat, 13 g carbs, and 8.3 g protein.Get the Recipe964 Simple Chickpea Tomato and Feta Salad The Picky EaterEating like the Greeks is a smart move, considering their Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower risk of chronic disease and a longer life, as an article published in September 2017 in Nutrition Today points out. This five-ingredient salad from The Picky Eater makes it easy to reap the perks. To enjoy, all you need to do is mix cherry tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, chickpeas, and feta cheese, and then drizzle the final product with a zesty homemade dressing. Chickpeas are a relatively inexpensive source of protein and fiber, coming in at around $1 per the usual 15.5 oz can. The USDA estimates that ½ cup offers 7.5 g of protein and 6.5 g of fiber, which covers about 23 percent of your DV. Dish up one serving (⅛ recipe) of this salad for 135 calories, 6 g fat, 16 g carbs, 5 g protein, and 4.3 g fiber. RELATED: 11 Easy Mediterranean Diet Recipes for BeginnersGet the Recipe965 Citrus Ginger Mint Green Smoothie Vanilla and BeanSipping a fruity smoothie is a great way to cool off from the summer heat, and this creamy recipe from Vanilla and Bean is no exception. It combines oranges and banana for a punch of powerful nutrients, including vitamin C for protein metabolism and collagen growth, and potassium for blood pressure regulation, according to the NIH. Per serving, you get 49 mg of C, or 54 percent of the DV, and 541 mg of potassium, which covers 11.5 percent of the DV. Mint and lemon are thrown in for a refreshing kick! Overall, each serving gives you 206 calories, 6 g protein, and 5 g fat.Get the Recipe966 Mediterranean Tuna Salad With Roasted Peppers and Kalamata Olives The Lemon BowlHere’s another chance to add more Mediterranean diet-friendly foods to your plate! This recipe from The Lemon Bowl makes good use of canned tuna, which provides healthy fat and protein, Mirkin says. To be exact, ½ cup of canned tuna in water, drained, provides 15 g protein, notes the USDA. In the recipe, mix this pantry staple with onion, mayo (or better yet, protein-rich plain Greek yogurt), kalamata olives, lemon juice, and fresh basil. Then spread this nutrient-packed filling over fibrous whole-grain bread before topping it with roasted peppers for a creative twist on the classic tuna salad sandwich. The recipe makes four sandwiches. One serving offers 338 calories, 15.6 g fat, 29.4 g carbs, 24.8 g protein, and 4.2 g fiber. RELATED: 8 Scientific Benefits of the Mediterranean DietGet the Recipe967 Fun Rainbow Fruit Kebabs With Greek Yogurt Dip Kristine’s KitchenKebabs offer a fun way to eat your fruit. Choose your favorite kinds to stick on a wooden skewer ($5.99 for a pack of 8-inch skewers, Amazon.com), or try this rainbow-colored version from Kristine’s Kitchen, which features strawberries, clementine, pineapple, kiwi, blueberries, and purple grapes. Make the simple Greek yogurt–based dip recipe included to add protein to your snack. All fruits are healthy because they provide natural sweetness without the unhealthy processing of cake, candy, and cookies, as well as fiber, which is associated with a healthy heart and weight, per past research. But berries are major stars when it comes to disease prevention, thanks to their antioxidants, notes a review published in March 2018 in Frontiers in Pharmacology. Put ’em on a stick and enjoy two. That gives you 161 calories, 1 g fat, 34 g carbs, 8 g protein, and 4 g fiber. Go with the fruit combo from the recipe, and you’ll give your body a generous 94 mg of vitamin C, which is 104 percent of the DV, according to the USDA.Get the Recipe968 Crunchy Caribbean Coleslaw With Bell Pepper Mango Avocado and Greek Yogurt Jessica GavinThis Caribbean-inspired coleslaw recipe from certified culinary scientist Jessica Gavin offers a nutritious side dish option for summer meals. It combines red and green cabbage, red bell pepper, carrots, corn, mango, mint, lemon, and avocado, a fruit that contains tons of healthy fats, according to Mirkin. Healthy fats help to increase HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels, as well as keep your heart healthy, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. And instead of using standard mayo in the dressing, this recipe calls for plain nonfat Greek yogurt, which offers 25 g of protein and 270 mg of calcium per cup, which is 21 percent of the DV, notes the USDA. The recipe makes six servings. In addition to 40 mg of calcium, which covers 3 percent of the DV, each serving has 105 calories, 4 g fat, 18 g carbs, and 3 g protein. RELATED: 8 Healthy High-Protein Snacks to Power You Through Your DayGet the Recipe969 Ants on a Log With Peanut Butter Celery and Raisins Healthy Little FoodiesHere’s a throwback to a classic childhood snack. Ants on a log is quick and easy to throw together. (All you need is celery, peanut butter, and raisins.) Celery is a great food to keep on hand when you want to eat something crunchy that’s also low calorie and low carb. Two medium stalks have only 15.4 calories and 4 g carbs, according to the USDA. (They’re also fat-free.) It makes a great comb with peanut butter, 1 tablespoon (tbsp) of which provides 3.55 g plant protein. If you dislike celery, feel free to swap in carrots. Same goes for peanut butter: Hummus can make a good, nutritious stand-in, with 3 g protein in 2 tbsp. What’s more, you can easily trade raisins for your choice of crushed-up nuts or seeds. Made the original way, one “log” has 71 calories, 5 g fat, 4 g carbs, and 2 g protein.Get the Recipe970 Greek Salad With Olive Oil Vinaigrette Dressing Spend With PenniesThanks to this go-to salad, you have another opportunity to eat like those in Mediterranean countries such as Greece. This version from Spend With Pennies consists of tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, peppers, olives, and feta cheese tossed in a homemade vinaigrette dressing that includes olive oil — a staple of the Mediterranean diet that is associated with better heart health, per Harvard University. A review published in February 2019 in Circulation Research notes that this eating pattern is associated with a lower risk for coronary artery disease, ischemic stroke, and heart disease overall. This recipe makes eight servings, and in each one, there are 164 calories, 13 g fat, 7 g carbs, and 3 g protein. 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