fresh summer harvest — Photo by Yuval Zukerman

Introduction

What's on your shopping list right now?

Have you ever wondered why Ayurveda is so keen on changing food throughout the year?

There is only one reason for that!

The seasonal harvest provides us with the exact food we need to maintain balance. It's a practical and impelling approach to good health.

Two Ayurvedic principles are here important:

The six tastes in Ayurveda.
Bring balance with the opposite.

Suppose you're a regular reader of my blog; you’re likely familiar with the six tastes in Ayurveda: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent (spicy), and astringent. These tastes play a pivotal role in maintaining your body's equilibrium.

As with everything else in Ayurveda, the tastes are based on the five elements: space, air, fire, water and earth.

The tastes that keep us balanced during summer are sweet, bitter and astringent. These are precisely the tastes of the summer harvest, reassuring us of the benefits of Ayurvedic principles.

Isn't that so clever?

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Understanding Ayurvedic Principles for Summer

The qualities of the summer are hot, penetrating (the sun's rays penetrate your skin and burn it if you are not careful), and sharp (the sharp pain of sunburn), all qualities of the fire element.

Summer heat brings dryness. The soil dries out, and cracks appear. Our skin, hair and eyes get dry, and our colon might dry on the inside.

Hence, hydration is critical now, and it fits perfectly with the juicy berries and fruits of the season and the watery vegetables.

Our body is busy cooling all systems down, taking energy from the digestive system; therefore, we are advised to eat lighter food to relieve the digestive system, which matches the summer easy-to-digest vegetable crops wonderfully.

Do you see a pattern developing here?

What to Eat in the Summer?

Let's look at the food of the summer. I am lucky to have grown up with gardens and fields. We were in tune with whatever was in season. Plus, then, shops also stocked only seasonal food. Only in the summer did the juicy peaches arrive at our local store. We couldn't wait for them.

Our weekly Sunday family walk in the early summer was about scouting the best raspberry and blackberry places. When they finally ripened into these juicy, tangy, sweet berries, we picked them, weaponed with buckets, long trousers, and coats to avoid getting cut by the razor-sharp thorns.

They then got processed into delicious jams for the winter months.

With everything being available in the stores now all year round, it can be confusing which food is seasonal.

Here are some examples:

Grains:

Barley: Light, cool, dry, sweet, and astringent tastes; beneficial for skin and kidneys; and helps lose weight.

Millet: The best is pearl millet. It is light, cool, and has a sweet taste.

Oats: although their warming qualities, their slimy qualities keep the body hydrated. The sweet taste nourishes the nervous system, which helps to pacify Pitta's intensity.

White rice: is cooling, easy to digest, and sweet. Rice nourishes all tissues and keeps the body strong in the summer.

Wheat: is cooling but heavy and has a sweet taste. Although wheat can feel too heavy during the summer, the processed version of bulgur wheat, couscous and pasta are lighter to digest and more appealing for summer.

Legumes:

All legumes are suitable for summer, particularly when sprouted. Sprouting makes them easy to digest, nourishing with plenty of pranic energy.

All legumes have sweet and astringent tastes.

My favourites are:

Mung dal in all forms (green with full and husk, split green, and the husk-less yellow split mung dal.
Masoor dal, this is the husk-less version of the small brown lentils.
Chickpeas need to be enjoyed in moderation in case of dryness, as their quality is drying, which can lead to or increase dryness in the skin and hair or constipation in case of dryness in the body.

Vegetables:

The summer yields an abundance of vegetables ready for you to enjoy:

Artichokes: bitter in taste, excellent for the liver.

Avocados: sweet and cool, nourishing, and an excellent source of good fat.

Chicoree: is bitter and light. It is a great addition to a leafy salad and can be added to dal or kitchadi.

Fennel has a sweet and light taste, and it is very pleasant in salads to add crunch or as a vegetable cook and soup. Easy to digest, very calming effect.

Cucumber: cool as a … that saying holds truth. Cucumbers are refreshing, cooling, and hydrating. Combined with the sweet taste, they are excellent for any pitta imbalances, such as hyperacidity and burning sensations; remember the cucumber slice on the eyes. Cucumbers are heavy to digest, so they are best enjoyed at lunch.

Sweet potato: Just as the name says, they taste sweet but slightly sour. They are easy to digest, nourishing and grounding.

Carrots: are sweet and bitter in taste, easy to digest, and nourishing and grounding. Beneficial for the blood, eyes, brain and stomach. Although tasty when eaten raw, the best benefit develops when cooked.

Beetroot: Sweet in taste, nourishing, and easy to digest (best cooked to pacify Pitta dosha). It helps to build blood and is excellent for the liver, gallbladder, stomach and guts.

All leafy greens: A must in the summer. Ideally, we incorporate leafy greens in our meals daily. The bitter taste is beneficial for the liver.

Zucchini and other summer squashes: The high fluid content helps to hydrate the tissues and prevent constipation. Easy to digest.

Hey, how about the tomatoes?

Well, tomatoes! I know they are everybody’s favourite, and nobody seems to be able to exist without them.

Here is the thing, though. Tomatoes are in the nightshade family. Nightshades are difficult to digest and promote inflammation. They are sour in taste and increase all three doshas: Vata, Pitta (the natural dosha of the summer), and Kapha.

If you grow your tomatoes, that's great; enjoy them in small amounts. In any case of Pitta imbalances, inflammations, acidity, skin issues) they should be avoided. The sour taste is heating. Avoid the skin and seeds; they are the most heated. Apart from the heating qualities, they also tend to block the channels. I know, this is a bummer.

Fruits:

Apart from citrus fruits, all seasonal fruits are suitable.

All the berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, currants) are great to consume. They are sweet and juicy, have building qualities, and hydrate the body.

Strawberries are cooling and excellent immune boosters, quench thirst, strengthen the heart, and soothe irritated and inflamed stomachs. They collect your thoughts and ground the nervous system.

What Foods to Avoid in the Summer?

To know what to avoid, you look again at the tastes; that's easiest.

All tastes that contain the fire element need to be avoided to prevent the fire element, one of Pitta dosha's elements and governing the summer, increases. In the beginning, I mentioned that we need to balance with the opposite because having the same qualities will lead to imbalance. These are the tastes to avoid in the summer:

Salty (fire and water elements)
Sour (fire and earth elements)
Pungent (fire and air elements)

This also means that the remaining favourable three summer sweet, bitter and astringent tastes don't contain the fire element.

So, the summertime is not ideal for salty crisps or chips.

Equally, the sour tastes of the citrus fruits increase the heat, and so are fermented foods such as kimchi.

However, the milder ferment of sauerkraut is ok in small quantities.

Ok is also mild yoghurt, the best homemade, and buttermilk (yoghurt and water mixed) made from this mild yoghurt is also ok and even helps remove heat from the body.

Ayurvedic Summer Meal Plan

You might wonder what to do with all these food items. Here is a sample of what a meal plan for one week could look like to give you some ideas:

Day 1:

Breakfast: Cooked oatmeal topped with cinnamon and toasted sunflower seeds.

Lunch: Mung dal soup with carrots and zucchini and steamed white rice.

Dinner: Warm barley and chickpea salad with cucumber, fennel, and a light olive oil dressing.

Day 2:

Breakfast: Pearl millet porridge seasoned with a pinch of cardamom and toasted coconut flakes.

Lunch: Bulgur wheat with roasted beetroot and avocado, garnished with fresh parsley.

Dinner: Lentil soup with artichokes and sweet potato, served with couscous.

Day 3:

Breakfast: Savoury oats with turmeric.

Lunch: Warm chickpea and cucumber salad with diced tomatoes (small amount, skin and seeds removed), served with warm flatbread.

Dinner: Quinoa with grilled zucchini and a mix of leafy greens like spinach and kale.

Day 4:

Breakfast: Toasted bread with avocado spread and sliced cucumbers.

Lunch: Rice and masoor dal pancakes with shredded beetroot and carrot, served with mint-coriander chutney.

Dinner: Fennel and taro soup

Day 5:

Breakfast: Rice pancakes topped with a savoury mixture of sautéed zucchini and herbs.

Lunch: Kitchadi with fennel and leafy greens.

Dinner: Leftover kitchadi

Day 6:

Breakfast: Millet cooked with fennel seeds and olive oil, served with steamed greens.

Lunch: Bulgur wheat pilaf with roasted carrots and zucchini.

Dinner: Avocado and warm sprouted bean salad with olive oil and lemon dressing.

Day 7:

Breakfast: Toasted bread with mashed chickpeas and a sprinkle of dried herbs.

Lunch: Artichoke and chickpea stew served with couscous.

Dinner: Beetroot patties served with mung dal and spinach soup.

Enjoy, and remember, all food is best eaten on the same day; avoid leftovers. If you have lunch left over, eat it for dinner.

Final Thoughts

In aligning with Ayurvedic principles for summer eating, we discover a profound connection between our diet and seasonal harmony. As we transition into the warmer months, Ayurveda guides us to choose foods that counterbalance the heat and intensity of the season. The emphasis on sweet, bitter, and astringent tastes in summer fruits, vegetables, and grains fits perfectly with our body's needs for cooling and hydration. At the same time, they nourish us and help to pacify the fiery qualities associated with Pitta dosha, promoting a sense of calm and balance amidst the sun's swelter. By honouring seasonal eating, we support our physical well-being and deepen our connection with nature's rhythms.

Designing an Ayurvedic summer meal plan is not just about what we eat but a holistic approach to health. Each meal becomes an opportunity to nurture ourselves in alignment with the season's energies. From nourishing barley salads to refreshing cucumber soups and vibrant fruit-infused breakfasts, every dish balances tastes and textures. As we savour the flavours of seasonal produce like juicy berries and leafy greens, we enjoy their taste and harness their inherent healing properties. This approach supports digestion and immunity and connects us to a deeper appreciation for the bounty of nature's harvest. Ultimately, Ayurvedic summer eating celebrates vitality and allows us to thrive harmoniously with nature.