Cool foods pack nutrients too

Like a summertime dip in the pool, few things refresh like a cold meal.

That's fortunate, because the cold foods that go down so well in the summer are also perfectly suited to supporting your health and weight control goals.

Chief among cold foods are fresh summer fruits and vegetables, including melons, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, summer squash, peas and beans, radishes, fresh herbs and many others. High in fiber and water content, these foods are filling, hydrating and low in calories.

Capitalize on the season and find ways to build your diet around these foods for the next few months.

It isn't hard to do. Among the good ways to work them in:

• Cold soups. Blend fresh, uncooked tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, bell peppers, celery, olive oil, parsley, chives, minced garlic, red wine vinegar and lemon juice in a food processor to make gazpacho, a traditional Spanish soup. The flavor improves if the soup is chilled overnight before serving. Simple recipes are available if you search online. Melon soup is also easy to make using fresh cantaloupe or honeydew melon, nonfat plain yogurt and a few teaspoons of honey whirled together in a blender.
• Mixed salads. Your imagination is the only limit to the number of appealing combinations you can try using fresh salad greens and chopped summer vegetables and fruits. Mix salad greens with chunks of fresh fruit, or try a "chopped salad" consisting of lettuce and several summer vegetables, all chopped finely and tossed with oil and vinegar.
• Simple sandwiches. My favorite is a BLT made with lettuce, a thick slice of tomato, a thin slice of low-fat cheese, soy mayonnaise and soy-based "fakin" bacon, available in many supermarkets and natural foods stores. Serve it on toasted whole wheat bread. A pita pocket filled with hummus and grated, fresh carrots or Middle Eastern tabbouleh is also delicious.
• Pasta mixtures. Toss cooked, whole-wheat bow tie or rotini noodles with chopped, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, chopped walnuts and grated, part-skim mozzarella cheese. Or make pasta salad using whole wheat pasta, chopped summer vegetables and vinaigrette, tossed together and chilled. Add toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds for some crunch.
• Finger foods and snacks. Keep a ready tray of washed, peeled and sliced summer vegetables -- red, green and yellow bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots, broccoli florets -- to serve with salad dressing dips as a snack while you're fixing dinner or to serve with a glass of wine when friends drop by.

Remember to keep it simple. Summer is a great time to dial down the formality of meals. Make more one-dish meals: a big bowl of soup or salad with a piece of good bread, two or three types of salad served together on a plate, or a one-dish pasta meal garnished with a few black olives or a thin slice of melon and a sprig of mint from your garden.

If there's a drawback to fresh summer produce, it's the preparation time involved. The barrier is more perceived than real, though. It doesn't take long to rinse, peel and chop enough vegetables for a simple summer meal. It may help if you do the work in batches, storing extra peeled or chopped fruits and veggies in airtight containers in the refrigerator.

Here's your goal: Keep on hand at least two different fresh vegetable salads and at least three types of whole fruits -- cantaloupe, watermelon and pineapple, for example -- all summer long. Pair these with whole grain breads and cereals, but plan for fresh produce to be the foundation of your meals while it's in season.

When it's hot outside, think cold.