A delicious meal for a hot day.

(Baonghean) - With the scorching heat reaching its peak, choosing suitable and healthy meals for the whole family, ensuring food safety, is a major concern for housewives. Many women put a lot of effort into making family meals more appealing...

At just 6 a.m., Ms. Ho Thi Loan (Quang Trung Ward, Vinh City) hurried to the market to see if she could find some freshwater shrimp to make a refreshing sour soup for the whole family. After browsing through the seafood and freshwater fish stalls and then the vegetable section, Ms. Loan finally found the dishes she had planned: freshwater shrimp in tomato soup, boiled pork belly with fresh vegetables for lunch, and for dinner, a soup of water spinach with minced meat, braised goby fish with pepper, and a dessert that the whole family loves: cantaloupe with sugar and ice.

Ms. Lan said: "Previously, when I was a teacher, due to my busy work schedule, I could only go to the market on weekends to prepare meals that suited my family's tastes. Since retiring, I have more free time, so I usually go to the market every day to choose food that is both safe and delicious. During these hot summer days, choosing a meal that ensures nutrition and food safety is not easy. According to Ms. Loan, a summer meal must include a refreshing soup such as jute leaf soup, pumpkin soup with meat, mixed vegetable soup with freshwater crab, or sweet gourd soup with crushed peanuts... In addition, to boost the children's immunity, Ms. Loan makes her own yogurt, coconut jelly, and various kinds of black and green bean desserts..."

Guidelines for nutritional choices for housewives at the Provincial Center for Maternal and Child Health Care and Family Planning.

Unlike in the city, in rural areas, this time of year is harvest season, followed by land preparation for the summer-autumn planting season. Working all day under the scorching sun leaves many feeling exhausted. Finding time to cook meals for family members while ensuring their health for harvesting in such harsh weather is a major concern for Ms. Nguyen Thi Sen (Quynh Tam, Quynh Luu). Ms. Sen explains: "In the countryside, we always have fresh vegetables in the garden, from jute mallow, sweet potato leaves, and spinach to taro... always fresh and green. We also raise chickens, so we eat eggs regularly. However, due to the extremely harsh weather and working directly under the sun, our bodies are very thirsty. Therefore, to cool down, I usually wake up at 4 am to cook a large pot of black bean sweet soup, let it cool, then strain the liquid and pour it into plastic bottles, which is very convenient for family members when they go out to harvest in the fields."

Nutrition guide for homemakers

The hot summer weather, with outdoor temperatures sometimes reaching 39-40 degrees Celsius, causes body temperature to rise, leading to loss of appetite and fatigue. Therefore, choosing the right foods is especially important for maintaining good health. Dr. Que Tram Anh, Head of the Department of Child Care and Nutrition at the Center for Reproductive Health Care, offers advice to housewives on selecting, preserving, and preparing food during the summer:

To ensure a nutritious diet for good health during the summer months, housewives first need to choose foods wisely and prepare them in a way that family members will enjoy.

During hot summer days, people should prioritize fresh food, clean vegetables, and fruits. It's important to eat plenty of cooling vegetables and fruits such as mangoes, papayas, watermelons, gourds, bitter melons, okra, watercress, cucumbers, bell peppers, corn, straw mushrooms, amaranth, and tomatoes. Avoid high-protein meats; avoid excessive consumption of foods and drinks high in chocolate, sugar, coffee, and alcoholic beverages; avoid frying and grilling as these easily raise body temperature; and don't eat too many fermented foods like pickled eggplant, kimchi, and pickled vegetables. In addition, everyone needs to drink enough water, 1.5-2 liters per day, which can be purified water, filtered water, broth, or refreshing drinks like pennywort juice, black bean tea, mung bean tea, or soy milk... And avoid carbonated drinks. Depending on the individual and age, there may be additional specific considerations regarding food intake during the summer.

For young children, it's important to pay attention to foods that help them relieve fatigue, avoid illnesses, and promote overall physical development: Foods like milk, cereals, bananas, and lotus seed porridge will help children sleep soundly. Vegetables like oranges, guavas, tomatoes, grapefruits, papayas, carrots, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins help prevent dry skin and dehydration, and avoid constipation; dishes like leek root porridge, eel porridge, mulberry leaf porridge, clam porridge, mussel porridge, snakehead fish soup, water spinach soup, mung bean soup, and black bean soup help prevent night sweats and reduce the risk of respiratory infections… During the summer, children often lose their appetite, so offer a variety of foods and frequently change dishes to keep them palatable, easy to eat, and nutritious; avoid giving children cold water, iced drinks, or too much ice cream or frozen ice cream as these can damage the oral mucosa and lead to respiratory illnesses.

For the elderly, a proper diet plays a crucial role because their immune system is weakened. During the summer, food for the elderly acts as a preventative measure against illness. Energy-rich foods such as meat, fish, shrimp, crab, beans, and fresh fruits and vegetables rich in natural vitamins and minerals will boost their immunity. Foods that shorten lifespan, such as alcohol, beer, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and coffee, should be limited and avoided. Foods that increase the risk of disease, such as fried and sautéed foods, animal fat and organs, raw vegetables, raw fish salad, and fermented pork rolls, should also be avoided. For elderly people with pre-existing conditions, a suitable diet is necessary depending on the specific illness. Maintaining a regular diet of 4-5 meals per day, divided into smaller portions, is recommended to ensure efficient digestion. You should eat cooked food and drink boiled water, and absolutely avoid eating cold food.

Women should also note: In the summer, the hot weather causes food to spoil quickly, so when buying food, follow these principles: Choose clean food; cook food thoroughly; wash hands and vegetables thoroughly before preparing food; ensure eating utensils are always clean; store cooked food properly and reheat before eating; do not mix cooked food with raw food; and keep the food preparation area and kitchen dry and clean.

Thanh Hien - Thanh Son