SUMMER RECIPES Personal Trainer Lee's Summit

Molly Wichman, Personal Trainer in Lee's Summit shares health and fitness tips!

Summer is here! I am sharing a few of my favorite Summer Recipes that are lighter or healthied up. Summer is a great time for pool parties, lake gatherings, float trips, summer BBQ's and all around fun. But, it doesn't have to be an excuse to consume loads of excess calories. I find eating foods you enjoy, but a healthier version is much better than eating boring foods you don't enjoy. Below are a few of my favorite healthy or healthier summer recipes.

Summer Pasta Salad

Ingredients

1 box tri colored pasta

2 c Fat Free Italian dressing

1 Diced red onion

1 Diced green pepper

Directions

Cook and drain pasta.  Combine pasta with diced pepper and onion.  Mix in dressing.  Store in the refrigerator and serve cold.

Cowboy Caviar

Ingredients

2 cans black beans

1 can light red kidney beans

1 can northern beans

1 can shoepeg corn

1 can Rotel tomatoes

2 c Fat Free Italian dressing

Pinch of cilantro

Directions

Drain and rinse beans.  Mix all ingredients together.  Store in the refrigerator. Serve as a side dish or as a dip for fresh vegetables.

*Use canned or dry beans

• This is one of my FAVORITE summer recipes. Pair with grilled chicken and enjoy. Or just eat it on its own. It's so tasty!!

Corn Salad

Ingredients

4 c fresh or frozen corn

1/2 c Red Onion diced

1/2 c Roma Tomatoes diced

2 tbsp. minced parsley

1/4 c olive oil

1/4 c red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic minced

Directions

Whisk together oil, vinegar, garlic.

Cook fresh corn and remove kernels from cob or defrost frozen corn and place in large bowl

Add tomato, onion, parsley and dressing to corn

Place in refrigerator, serve cold or at room temperature.

American Flag Fruit Pizza

Ingredients:

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 package sugar free vanilla pudding

1 cup Fat Free Cool Whip

Sugar Cookie Crust

Strawberries or raspberries Blueberries

Directions:

Mix Greek yogurt, pudding and cool whip until smooth. Spread on a sugar cookie crust, top with blueberries and sliced strawberries or raspberries.

Notes:

Can use a pre-made sugar cookie crust, use refrigerated roll, or make on own. This recipe can also be done on individual cookies. Enjoy your treat!

The recipe for the American Flag Fruit Pizza takes a delicious dessert and “healthy” it up.  Instead of vanilla icing or cream cheese (higher in fat), Greek Yogurt and pudding mix are used.  Lower calories, but still all of the flavor.  Do you have another recipe that you think you can save calories?  Try it out.  Sometimes it is trial and error, but you can come up with some great “healthy” recipes.  Greek Yogurt is a great replacement for cream cheese, sour cream, and ricotta cheese.

Italian Pasta Salad Lightened Up

Ingredients

16 oz Rotini Pasta (can sub gluten free or whole wheat pasta)

1 c Fat Free Italian Salad Dressing

1 Cucumber diced

1 c Cherry Tomatoes diced

1/2 c sliced black olives

1/2 c Turkey Pepperoni diced

1/4 c Red Onion

Directions

Cook pasta per directions on package

Drain and rinse pasta

Mix the remainder of ingredients in a large bowl with pasta

Cover and place in refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight

*Can top with 1/4 c shredded Parmesan Cheese 

Do you like healthy or healthier recipes? Be sure to follow along & subscribe to my weekly newsletter for health & fitness tips!

Need a little more help with your health? Consider looking into in person or online training to take your health & fitness to a new level

With over 20 years of experience in health and fitness, I provide sustainable fitness to help you lose weight and boost energy through simple, effective workouts and nutrition.

In Good Health,

Molly Wichman

Personal Trainer in Lee's Summit

Online Trainer