Do you know what foods you should be eating now that summer is well underway? Read ahead to learn all about eating seasonally in late summer to get the most nutrients and the biggest bang for your buck…

Eating Seasonally In Late Summer Is A Must

By eating what’s in season, you are getting the highest level of nutrients from your food at the most affordable prices. Fruits and vegetables that are in season are reasonably priced, provide the most nutrition, and are less-likely to be tampered with in terms of additives and preservatives. 

Summer is the perfect time to stay out of indoor grocery stores and spend more time at outdoor markets. The farmers markets are bursting with colors and freshness and gorgeousness. If you don’t usually go to an outdoor market this time of year, you really have to try it… it will make your day! Do you know that saying “you eat first with your eyes”? Well, it’s true. The more beautiful food appears to you, the better it will taste.  And, in the summer you can add your sense of smell to that goodness equation because the scents and aromas as you peruse the markets are absolutely infatuating.

I don’t know about you, but when I smell fresh corn or fresh tomatoes that are being kissed by the sun… oh my… I just end up buying everything in sight because I must have it all. Some of my best recipes have been created because I have so much extra summer produce sitting on my counter and in the fridge.

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I have picked my 6 favorite, nutritious, and healing late summer produce items and detailed them for you below. Be sure to add these 6 items to your basket when you are at the market. Eating seasonally in late summer is so delicious!

If you eat the right foods and herbs for your unique body and circumstances, you can heal yourself. All you need is the correct information. And I’m here to give it to you. So, read on and learn more ways you can easily start to heal yourself with my top favorite 6 fruits and vegetables that are in season during late summer. And, if you want to learn more about healing whatever your specific concerns are, I’d love to help you create a healthy lifestyle plan specifically for your unique needs, so sign up for a free phone consultation and we can chat about it.

Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this post for some awesome late summer produce recipes. If you are like me, and you end up with enough food for an army instead of a single family, I’ve got you covered.

Summer Is Well Underway — What Should You Eat?

1. Tomatoes

In Chinese medicine, we use tomatoes to smooth your digestion and to help detoxify your body. They are also good to combat excess cholesterol, lessen inflammation and curb asthma. Tomatoes can also quench thirst, and they can help fight some kidney infections. This goes for all varieties of tomatoes. So, go grab some yellow, red, orange, purple, green, and brown tomatoes. Mix up the varieties too — heirloom, roma, cherry, grape… they are all so good this time of year.

At this time of year, tomatoes are at their most flavorful. They ripen in the sun and the taste just explodes in your mouth. This is the season when you can eat a tomato in your hand as if it were a peach. I love to thickly slice some tomatoes, put them on a plate, drizzle them with a good quality extra-virgin olive oil, and sprinkle them with sea salt. Simple and perfect.

2. Peppers

Like tomatoes, peppers come in so many beautifully different shapes, sizes, and tastes.

Bell peppers help with indigestion. If you are feeling bloated and full from over-eating a lot lately, consuming bell peppers will help reduce this feeling. They are also good for blood circulation and, research has shown that they are good for people with a low appetite or anorexia. It used to be common in China to use green pepper tea to soothe indigestion.

Hot peppers contain more vitamin C than any other vegetable and they are good at fighting off the common cold. So, if you like spice, as I do, use a generous amount of whatever hot peppers you like. The main component of hot peppers is capsaicin. Capsaicin actually works with your body and mind to make you feel happy. It’s also good for reducing swelling and can relieve some types of arthritic joint pain. If you have high blood pressure, check with your doctor before eating too many hot peppers because they can actually raise the blood pressure in some people.

One of my favorite things to do with peppers is to slice them up and dip them in hummus — this keeps me from eating the chips and I’m the big winner here because summertime peppers are better than chips any day of the week! I like to mince or slice some bright colored hot peppers and add them to eggs, soups, and my collard-wrapped sandwiches. Yum!

3. Corn

Corn is one of the foods that if I can’t find organic, I just won’t eat.  Many corn crops are so heavily sprayed and are full of GMOs, so if I can’t find it organic, it stays at the market. But,once  late summer arrives, organic corn is easier to find — so I’m a happy camper.  As more people are expressing concern about GMOs, it seems to be getting easier to find good corn at the markets even a bit off season.

Corn benefits the gallbladder, is good for hepatitis, heart disease, and hypertension. Cornsilk is a Chinese herb (Yu Mi Xu). It’s often used to reduce edema, help with hepatitis and to reduce the symptoms of some painful urinary conditions. If you can’t find organic fresh corn, buy a bag of organic frozen corn!

When corn is seasonally at peak  in late summer, I love to eat it raw. The kernels are so sweet and crunchy. When you scroll down to the bottom of this post, be sure to check out my recipe for Raw Corn And Vegetable Salad.  I love to add raw foods into my diet whenever possible and I urge you to do the same. Cooking food destroys some of its nutrients and natural enzymes; getting  fresh raw food’s full compliment of enzymes helps with digestion.

4. Figs

Figs have the highest amount of calcium of any fruit and are a good source of fiber. They are good for anemia, constipation, indigestion, and fever, and they are also good at fighting fatigue and boosting memory retention. Basically, figs are brain food, a digestive aid, and an energy-booster!

If you are craving sweets and you happen to have some fresh figs on hand, grab one, sit in a comfy chair, sniff the sweetness, and slowly eat your fig. The sensory pleasure is so much more than what you’d get from candy or cake! Also, it’s great to dice up some figs and use them on hot cereals, yogurt, or as a topping for  your favorite nice cream. Another tip: instead of sweetening your smoothie with another type of sweetener, add a fig to the mix in your blender!

5. Melons

Melons are great at this time of year. They are sweet, ripe, and prevalent. Eat all of the varieties to get the full benefits of the wealth of nutrition this amazing fruit offers.

All types of melons are good antioxidants, and help cleanse the body.  In Chinese medicine, we use them to lessen the discomfort of some types of arthritis, digestive issues, fever, and some kidney and bladder conditions.

Watermelon is actually considered a Chinese herb (Xi Gua).  It’s great if you are overheated during these hot days; it cools you off from the inside-out and it quenches thirst. The rind of the watermelon is also a Chinese herb (Xi Gua Pi). This is even more powerful at relieving summer heat and generating fluids in the body. So, the next time you are cutting up a beautiful fresh melon, don’t cut off all of the white/light green rind and eat a little bit of it along with the sweet red flesh — it will do your body good!

And, we shouldn’t leave out the seeds… watermelon seeds can be boiled in water and you can drink this as a tea that is good for your kidneys.

Cantaloupe and honeydew also have many of the same benefits mentioned above. Cantaloupe also has a good amount of vitamin C and minerals. Honeydew is a good source of vitamin B and minerals.

Bottom line: go out and buy some melons while they are in season!

6. Grapes

All colors and varieties of grapes are in season during late summer. My favorite variety is the dark purple or red grapes. The darker the color of your grapes, the better. Dark purple grapes contain compounds that inhibit the growth of cancer and detoxify the body.  If you can, buy the darkest grapes you can find, with the seeds in them, and eat them seeds and all because grape seeds are also good for protecting against cancer and Alzheimer’s Disease.

And, as an added benefit, red and purple grapes will boost your mood… hmm… taste great, make you happy, and fight illness… gotta get some!

For an awesome snack, wash some grapes, put them in the freezer, and grab these frozen treats whenever you want a sweet snack — simple, but sooooo good!

Here’s A Few Ways To Use These Late Summer Fruits And Vegetables

If you make any of these late summer recipes, please be sure to let me know in the comments below. I love hearing how you like a recipe, and I love to answer your questions! If you make it, be sure to take a photo and tag me and post it on Instagram.

1.  Raw Corn And Vegetable Salad

This salad is raw, can be customized however you like, and is the perfect accompaniment for all of your grilled and roasted dishes.

2.  Berry Fig Yogurt Parfait

Parfaits are just plain fun! And this one takes advantage of late summer’s figs and blackberries.

3.  Kale With Tomatoes And White Beans

This side dish is perfect for when you want a fresh-tasting warming plate of awesome veggies.

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