Swimsuit season may have you running from sweets and avoiding the ice cream temptations, but eating healthy doesn’t always mean eating less of what you love. Nutritionist Peggy Crum, RD, says that eating balanced meals throughout your day is healthier for your body than keeping specific foods out of your diet.

“There’s something good about all foods,” Crum said. “Go ahead and plan [desserts] in.”

By balancing your meals with one another throughout the day, you can save room for the desserts later on. For example, have more vegetables with one meal and more protein with another. If you know you’ll want a piece of pie by the end of your meal, place it on the table with you. Seeing the dessert while you eat the main course will help you save room and keep you from overeating in the end.

When coming up with healthy recipes, Crum says to, “Give a nod to what’s in season. Fresh is best and it’s delicious.”

For the month of July, cucumbers, tomatoes, summer squash, corn, green beans, lettuce, watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, blueberries, peaches, apricots, kiwi, raspberries and plums are all in season. Conveniently, the Greater Lansing area has plenty of farmers market that stock these foods in the summer, as well as the Student Organic Farm.

Crum says when coming up with meal ideas and new recipes, pair something simple with something complicated. For example, a Sweet’n Tangy Cabbage Salad could be the complicated recipe served with burgers on the grill for the simple recipe.

For more recipe ideas and tips on balancing your meals, visit the Recipe for Health section at health4u.msu.edu!