Summer is officially underway, and you are probably seeing pictures of your friends on Instagram sitting at the beach and eating giant cups of froyo. I personally love ice cream, and I wish it could do some good to my body, but sadly it doesn’t. Eating healthy is probably one of the most important ways to take care of yourself, especially during the summertime when it is hot outside. The hotter temperatures require you to drink more water, and to eat more fruits and veggies.

The Bible actually advises us to treat our bodies as temples of the Lord.

Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself. -1 Corinthians 6: 19 (NLT)

God calls us to take care of ourselves and the bodies He's given us to use on this earth.  There are so many benefits to eating healthy. First, you will have more energy to do fun things with your friends! Second, it helps prevent illnesses since most fruits and vegetables have antibodies which help your body fight off infections. And lastly, if you are in summer school or are trying to learn a new skill, eating well will boost your brain's ability to learn and retain the information.

I know how hard it can be to let go of the unhealthy foods that live in our grocery stores, but there are so many ways you can have all those yummy summer foods and still be healthy!

Here are my favorite desserts that are healthy and totally appropriate for summer time:

Strawberry banana ice cream

Ingredients:

• 1 cup strawberries
• 1 small frozen banana
• 1/3 cup almond milk (or another milk of choice: coconut, rice, etc.)

Directions:

Blend all the ingredients together and scoop in a bowl or cone and enjoy!

Blueberry muffin smoothie

This recipe is gluten free. So, next time you see that muffin sitting on the table skip it and go for this instead!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond breeze)
• 4 – 6 oz. vanilla Greek yogurt (1 individual-sized container)
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 frozen banana (or a whole banana if you like your smoothies sweeter)
• 1/4 cup raw, uncooked certified gluten-free oats
• 1/4 tsp. lemon zest
• 1/2 cup ice cubes

Directions:

Add ingredients to blender in the order listed above. Then, blend until very smooth, about 2 minutes or until it is a creamy consistency.

Froyo Bites

These are so good if you want something sweet on the go - they take less the 10 min. to prepare!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups strawberries and/or raspberries, fresh
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1/4 cup almonds or almond meal
• 2 tbsp. coconut sugar
• 2 tbsp. coconut oil
• 3/4 cup greek yogurt, plain low-fat
• 6-cup muffin tin and liners

Directions:

• Line a 6-cup muffin tin with silicone or parchment cupcake liners, or add directly to nonstick muffin tin.
• In a small bowl, stir together crushed almonds, coconut sugar, and coconut oil. Spoon a small amount into the bottom of each muffin cup.
• In a medium bowl, mix together yogurt and honey. Spoon 2 tablespoons into each muffin cup, covering the crust.
• Top with fresh chopped berries. Freeze until firm, about 6 hours.
• To serve, remove from silicone wrapper and enjoy!

Starbucks S’mores frapachino

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ice
• 1/2 cup vanilla coconut milk (or almond)
• 2-3 tbs. marshmallow fluff
• 1/2 cup cold coffee (you can put coffee in ice cubes the night before)
• 1 tbs. cocoa powder
• 2 tbs. graham cracker crumbs (preferably organic)
• Whipped cream for topping (but would be better if you skipped this one)

Directions:

• Combine the ice, coconut milk, cold coffee, cocoa powder, and 1 tablespoon of graham cracker crumbs in your food processor or blender.
• Pulse until blended.
• Pour into desired glass.
• Top with whipped cream and sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top.

*Makes approximately 2 servings

Watermelon sorbet

Ingredients:

• 4 cups watermelon chunks (1-2"), frozen overnight
• 1-1¼ cups canned coconut milk
• Optional: 2-4 tablespoons raw honey (depends how sweet your watermelon is)
• Optional: cacao nibs for topping

Directions:

• In a food processor, combine frozen watermelon and 1 cup of coconut milk. You may need to stop several times to mix with a spoon, but eventually a uniform, creamy mixture will appear. Add ¼ cup more coconut milk if needed.
• Do a taste test if you want it sweeter, add honey.

Serve immediately.

Extra can be poured into ice cube trays or Popsicle molds and placed back into the freezer to make a different sort of frozen treat.

And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. -Genesis 1:29

These are some of my favorite recipes, and I hope you enjoy them!

What are your favorite summer recipes? Let's share in the comments!