Food And Heat - Nutrition In Summer

Eating & drinking in the heat

In the summer heat, the body does not run normally. In summer temperatures you are not as productive as usual and you quickly feel tired and tired. In order to be able to enjoy the most beautiful season of the year in a healthy and fit manner, in addition to sufficient sun protection, particular attention should be paid to a light diet suitable for summer. Everything about grilling, food spoilage and exercise in the heat.

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• Alert thirst
• Exercise in the heat
• This is how summer tastes
• Heat affects food
• Grilling - know how!

Alert thirst

The increased perspiration in the heat can quickly lead to a lack of fluids in the body. Even minor deficits cause physical complaints such as concentration disorders, nausea, dizziness or headache. Cardiovascular problems can also occur in sensitive people. If you feel thirsty, it is actually too late - because the body is already suffering from a lack of fluids.

Note Drink regularly throughout the day - not just when you feel thirsty.

According to DA-CH recommendations, adolescents and adults should drink at least 1.5 liters of fluid daily. For small children and children, 0.8 or 1.0 to 1.3 liters apply as the minimum amount of drinks that should be consumed. But be careful: At high temperatures, the requirement can increase three to four times!

Ideal thirst quenchers are tap or mineral water, unsweetened herbal and fruit teas, and sprayed fruit and vegetable juices. Sugar-rich lemonades, iced teas, cola drinks, energy drinks and alcoholic drinks are unsuitable. Also, be careful with various wellness drinks that can contain significant amounts of sugar.

Danger! Young children, the elderly and immunocompromised people are particularly at risk from lack of fluids.

Exercise in the heat

Sports, sun and a bright blue sky - the dream of recreational sports! The same applies to sport: drink, drink! Depending on the sport, the loss of fluid in the heat can be 0.5 to 2.5 liters per hour! During longer sports units, you should therefore drink during this time. Minerals such as sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium and magnesium are lost through sweat, but recreational and amateur athletes do not need to use special sports drinks and electrolyte drinks. The ideal sports drink in summer is fruit juice sprayed with mineral water, such as apple juice (in a ratio of 1: 1).

Note If you sweat heavily, a pinch of salt (NaCl) can be added to drinks, which compensates for the loss of minerals.

You can find more information about proper drinking behavior under Drinking fluids.

This is how summer tastes

A conscious diet adapted to the summer makes the heat more bearable. Heavy, greasy food is an additional burden at high temperatures. Eat more types of fruit and vegetables with a high water content (eg apples, cherries, cucumbers, tomatoes). This is another way of providing your body with fluids! Preparations such as fruit salad with nuts, homemade fruit ice cream or a refreshing strawberry-banana-buttermilk drink are easily digestible and also refreshing in summer.

Cold soups and salads are the ideal summer food: imitate the southerners and try a chilled or iced soup. It doesn't necessarily have to be the well-known Spanish "Gazpacho", a light soup with cucumber, tomatoes, peppers and white bread cubes. Try a chilled tomato soup or a cold cucumber foam soup. Salad preparations such as couscous salad or an Italian pasta salad are ideal as a main course in summer.

Shakes, drinks, snacks and other dishes rich in fruit and vegetables provide the body with the energy it needs and also provide it with fluids. In addition, fruits and vegetables provide many valuable vitamins and minerals. You can find more summer recipes in the recipe database.

Heat affects food

At warm temperatures, microorganisms multiply particularly well and quickly on food. The summer joy can then be quickly dampened by gastrointestinal complaints. To avoid food infections, certain hygiene rules should be heeded when handling food - especially in summer.

Food and summer - the most important tips:

• Avoid large quantities of food: Buy smaller quantities in summer so that they are used up more quickly.
• Take particular care with perishable items: Get meat, poultry, eggs, milk and milk products as well as fish at the end of your shopping trip.
• Do not interrupt the cold chain: Use cooling bags, boxes and batteries for longer shopping trips. In general, make sure that the cold chain is not interrupted.
• Let's put it in the fridge: Perishables should be put in the fridge or freezer immediately upon arrival at home.
• Do not make food sweat: Do not expose food to direct sunlight. Avoid tarnishing of food such as when eating outdoors.
• Beware of raw eggs, meat and fish: Beware of dishes such as tiramisu or mayonnaise. Cool immediately after preparation and store for a maximum of one day. Small children, the elderly, pregnant women and immunocompromised people should absolutely avoid raw eggs in hot temperatures. Meals with raw meat or fish such as beef tartare or sushi should be avoided on hot days. Always fry meat and fish well!

Grilling - know how

A mild summer evening outdoors & a barbecue - that is simply part of the summer and ensures the right atmosphere! A few helpful tips should be observed so that the barbecue fun remains a pleasure for the body.

Tips for health-conscious grilling:

• Do not use wood that is rich in resin: When resins are burned, harmful substances are released.
• Attention raw meat: Raw meat and meat juices must not come into contact with other dishes or side dishes that are no longer cooked (e.g. salads, sauces, breads).
• Do not grill cured sausage products: the nitrate they contain creates carcinogenic nitrosamines. Cured goods such as sausages and ham can be recognized by their pink to reddish color.
• Chill food for as long as possible: Take chops and the like out of the refrigerator just before placing them on the wire rack. This is how you avoid premature spoilage.
• Avoid fat in the embers : If fat drips into the embers, carcinogenic substances are formed, the so-called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The best-known representative is benzpyrene. Brushing with fat or oil should therefore be avoided. Dab marinated food well before serving. Grill cups prevent fat from dripping into the embers.
• Do not pour beer over it: this common practice can cause carcinogenic substances such as PAHs to form.
• Do not grill too long and too hot: Even if it tastes good - black areas on grilled food should be cut away. If grilled too hot, heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAA) can also be formed - they are also harmful to health. Nevertheless, the food should be cooked well to kill pathogenic germs.
• It doesn't always have to be meat: In addition to traditional grilled dishes, try grilled fish and vegetables. You will see - grilled vegetables such as zucchini, corn or tomatoes do not lack anything of the popular grill taste. Fish should have relatively firm meat such as trout, salmon or tuna. Grilled bananas or apples, for example, are suitable as a grill-ready dessert instead of ice cream.
• Prefer to marinate yourself: If the grilled meat is completely marinated, a possibly sour smell (indicator of spoilage) will be masked by the spice smell It is also difficult to judge visually whether the meat is still suitable for consumption.

Further information is available from:

• Ministry of Health: Eating and drinking in hot weather
• Austrian Nutrition Society (ÖGE): Drinking tips for hot days
• German Nutrition Society (DGE): How to prepare grilled meat correctly

• Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES):

  Grilling - an unadulterated pleasure

• Association for Consumer Information (VKI): Sausages suitable for grilling