Lazy But Lush: Summer Eating That Still Feeds Your Gut
It’s July, it’s hot, and I’ve just returned from a work trip to Turkey where it was well over 40°C. I know you’ve been thinking about how to keep meals light and easy, but still feel like they’re doing your body — and your gut — some good.
Chickpea Halloumi Salad
Between trips, I’m still baking sourdough (yes, even now — I know, I know).
Summer Breakfast, Two Ways: You know I love a cottage cheese and avocado toast. But on the way back from Italy the other week, I picked up some Stracciatella di bufala, and swapped the cottage cheese for this creamy mozzarella-style cheese. A little decadent, totally worth it. Still on my homemade sourdough, even in the summer, I can’t give it up.
Turkish Breakfasts & Slow Dinners: One thing I love about Turkish breakfasts (if you've been on holiday there at their all-inclusive resorts, you know it!) is how they start with herbs. Piles of parsley, a plate full of flavor and fibre right from the get-go. It’s such a beautiful, gut-friendly habit.
And dinner? Three evenings in a row, we had local fish like sea bass and red snapper, simply grilled and served with a fresh chopped salad with tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and herbs. Before that, a spread of meze, each one loaded with soft, mellow vegetables and spices, yogurt and just a touch of heat. Dessert? Always seasonal fruit, and I won’t lie, I ate my weight in watermelon. (Now I’m tempted to try that viral watermelon, feta & mint salad… anyone made it?)
Grilled Sea Bass in Izmir, Türkiye
Quick Plant & Protein Packed Lunch Idea: If you need a quick lunch that actually satisfies, my chickpea and halloumi salad is always on standby. Crunchy, salty, sweet with a creamy dressing full of flavor and sneaks in a lot of plants in one bowl.
This is what hot days are calling for: my chilled runner bean soup, the kind you slurp straight from a bowl in the garden, preferably barefoot. I was hoping to grow my own runner beans by now, but no success with those seedlings 🥴. Let me know if you make it though: it’s simple, refreshing, and full of nutrition for your gut.
Quick Question: What are you finding trickiest to keep fresh and exciting right now — breakfasts, lunches, or dinners? Hit reply and tell me where you need a little summer inspo. I’d love to share ideas that actually fit what you're eating (or dreaming about eating) this time of year.
Or just reply with what you'd like to see me making!
