Healthy Versions Of Your Favorite Summer Foods, Burgers To Pie To Ice Cream

Summer, of course, is the season when an abundance of great produce is at the peak of production and, more importantly, the peak of flavor (just check out what's in season this July!) But let's face it: we all know that these fresh and nutritious ingredients don't always find their way into our quintessential summer dishes.

Quite possibly the biggest and health problem with summer cooking lies in our dependence on sauces and add-ons. Our usual summer go-tos are often doused in BBQ sauce, swimming in mayonnaise (hello potato salad!), and fueled by sugar, leaving us eaters in a heavy, lethargic, post-meal stupor.

This is certainly not always a bad thing — everything in moderation, right? But if you are devoted to keeping your hard-earned "summer bod" at the ready and equally determined to eat your fair share of coleslaw and ice cream, try these recipes and tips to keep on track without missing out on any of the summer eatin' fun. 

Did you know that July is National Baked Bean month? Perfect time to try your hand at making your own! This way you can control the all the unhealthy variables. Beans are a great source of protein, B vitamins, fiber, and iron. For a vegetarian option that uses honey instead of sugar, try making this quick and spicy Vegetarian Baked White Beans.

On the other hand, Kristen Gradney, registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says baked beans are just about the worst food you could eat at a backyard barbecue. "On average, a half-cup serving of baked beans contains thirteen grams of sugar, almost five times the amount in a sugar cube. You may get sluggish and tired after eating this because of your body's reaction to the large amount of sugar." Instead, she recommends a black bean and corn salad dressed with olive oil and vinegar.

In some cases, thick and gloopy sugar-filled BBQ sauce is needed because the chicken is overcooked and dry. Properly grilled chicken doesn't need the sauce! Read these tips for perfectly grilled chicken, every time. Also check out this recipe Spicy Greek Yogurt and Lime Marinated Chicken for a healthy alternative to BBQ sauce-covered chicken.

If you just can't ditch the sauce, swap out the processed sugar with honey or with sweet summer fruit like peaches or plums. Also, you can use apple cider vinegar for tartness in a homemade BBQ sauce. Apple cider vinegar provides a lot of health benefits such as lowering cholesterol and aiding in weight loss, and on top of all that it is good for your gut and helps with digestion.

In lieu of beef, try a turkey burger. Turkey breast is low in fat and high in protein, plus it is a great source of vitamin B6, zinc, and niacin! Be sure to ask your butcher for white turkey breast meat only; dark thigh meat in the patty can add back in the fat you are trying to avoid. Browse our endless list of turkey burger recipes in search of one that you think will hit the spot. If you are looking to make your turkey burger even healthier, try an organic whole wheat bun (or half bun!) or even a low-cal English muffin as a bun substitute.

Click through from this healthy Mushroom, Parmesan, and Wheat Germ Turkey Burger recipe.

You can swap out heavy mayonnaise for a lighter coleslaw. Try this recipe made with tangy Greek yogurt to add thickness without extra fat and calories, or check out this crunchy and colorful coleslaw recipe that swaps out the sugar, white vinegar, and mayo for grapeseed oil, apple cider vinegar, and agave syrup. 

The unhealthiness of fried chicken comes largely from the amount of oil it absorbs from spending a long time in the fryer. Fear not — you don't have to boycott fried chicken just yet. Culinary master and fried chicken aficionado David Chang has a great technique that makes it so your chicken only spends 1-2 minutes total in the oil. The trick: steam your chicken first!

Steam your chicken in a regular steamer basket until it's completely cooked through, then you can coat the chicken in batter and flash fry it to get that delectable crust. Side note: the proper oil temperature is key; if your heat is too low, the food absorbs oil instead of dispelling air and moisture making the food greasy and heavy.  The Daily Meal has countless fried chicken recipes but if you want to throw caution to the wind and disregard our healthy eating tip, click here to find out how to Make The Most Perfect Fried Chicken Ever

Some fish taco purists demand that the fish be fried, but this grilled version is light, flavorful, and tastes very fresh. Find good quality white fish, such as halibut or cod, and simply season with as little as oil, salt, and pepper it before grilling it over med-high heat. Grilled fish tacos are not complete without the tangy punch of lime, the flavorful zing of cilantro, and the crunch of red cabbage. Try it; we are pretty sure that you'll forget all about the fried version.

For Grilled Fish Tacos with Lime Cabbage Slaw, click here!

Our Healthiest and Unhealthiest Store-Bought Hot Dogs article dubbed Applegate Farms the healthiest option out there for both all beef dogs and turkey dogs. Applegate's 100% beef dog is made with organic, grass-fed beef too! For an exclusively low-cal beef option Oscar Mayer Extra Lean Franks was the winner for the best low fat option. Turkey dogs are also a good choice and are the primary ingredient in this featured recipe Mozzarella Pesto Turkey Franks. Click here for the recipe!

You scream, I scream, we all scream for.... Bananas? That's not usually how that cheer goes but this "ice cream" recipe requires just 1 ingredient: bananas! Frozen and pureed bananas makes for a delectable ice cream substitute with no added sugar or fat. This is completely raw and vegan too! Adding a touch of freshly grated nutmeg will make this recipe ultra crave-worthy.

Check out this recipe for Banana "Ice Cream" here

Instead of colored sugar-water, freeze a smoothie in ice pop molds. Better than just fruit juice, all the nutrients and fiber from the berry skins stay in so you don't overload on simple fruit sugars. Check out the 8 Healthy Ice Pops You Can Feel Good About Snacking On here, and try making these Berry Pops ASAP!

It's no secret that Americas love their sugar; sometimes it seems that nearly every product on the supermarket shelves has some added sweetness to it. Ice tea is no exception. Yet if you make your own at home, you have control over the sugar content. You could even substitute the sugar with honey or agave syrup. In this recipe summertime blackberries mingle with black tea and lemons for a flavorful and refreshing drink. Check it out here.

No summer is complete without a lobster roll, but there are two problems: the rich, ultra-buttery potato bun and the amount of mayonnaise that binds the lobster. Don't fret, as there are two easy solutions: forget the greasy butter, and make your own mayonnaise! Making your own mayonnaise is very easy and teaches you an essential kitchen technique. It not only tastes better, but you control the quality of ingredients. Learn how to make your own here!

With these two tips,makes these make these awesome Mini Lobster Rolls courtesy of Butter NYC.

Avoid the cloyingly sweet lemonade and make your own fresh, bright, and refreshing summer drink by either using less sugar or swapping it for a sugar substitute. Coconut sugar, used in this featured recipe, is a natural sweetener low on the glycemic index meaning it contains less glucose. Honey, stevia, maple syrup, and agave syrup are other natural sweeteners that would also healthify your lemonade.

Click here to see this Homemade Lemonade recipe.

Transitioning to healthier pasta salad is as simple as can be.  Make your pasta salad with light vinaigrette instead of that heavy bottled dressing. You can also use organic whole-wheat pasta and add in plenty of fresh summer vegetables and herbs. See this recipe for Summer Pasta Salad here.

Click through for The Daily Meal's 10 Best Summer Pasta Salad Recipes.

The easiest way to get a healthier fruit pie is to cut the sugar or use natural, unprocessed alternatives. Flavorful summer fruit hardly needs additional sweetness anyway. You can also integrate heartier, less processed flours into your pie crust such as whole wheat or spelt flour to up the nutritional value. Use pie crust as a topping, as an alternative to a buttery, sugary crumble. Click though for this beautiful Blueberry Pie recipe with lattice top.

With just a handful of ingredients, you can create a potato salad that's not only delicious and memorable, but also healthier since we swapped the heavy mayonnaise for a tangy vinaigrette. This recipe uses waxy red-skinned potatoes instead of starchy potatoes, so there's more fiber to help you feel satisfied with less.

Click here for this Heart Healthy Potato Salad recipe

Although pork is not on the list of healthiest foods, sugary BBQ sauce really ups the unhealthy ante. For healthier pulled pork, make your own marinade and sauce!  This recipe here uses peaches and honey for sweetness and spices to bulk up the flavor. We don't think you'll miss that store bought bottle anytime soon. Click here for the recipe.

A symbol of childhood, the epic snow cone is no doubt a wonderful way to cool down in the hot summer months. The favoring syrups, albeit delicious, are packed with artificial flavors, dyes, and sugar. For an icy treat substitute try making a granita. Icify anything from lemonade to coffee to rosé! Just pour into a shallow pan, freeze, and scrap up with a fork to create a granulated consistency. This watermelon granita also uses honey as a substitute for sugar, making it an even healthier alternative. Click here for the recipe.

These days, strawberries are available to us all year round. Yet when strawberries are in season locally their flavor is nothing short of transcendent. Strawberry shortcakes are often made with buttery rich biscuits and densely sweet whipped cream. One way to address this is to skip the biscuit and enjoy your strawberries with low-cal whipped topping.

Another option is to embrace the good fat found in grass-fed cream and make whipped cream without any sugar. Since the berries are so sweet in season, sugar is virtually unnecessary and the plain cream will add a light freshness to your dessert.

Check out the Basil Infused Strawberry Shortcake recipe here.