3 Kitchen Tips for Having Your Most Flare-Free Summer Ever
- Laura Rodriguez
- Jun 22
- 6 min read
Ahhh...
Summer is here.
The kids are home, the days are longer, there are vacations and road trips to take....
Sports practices to attend...
Summer camps to get the kids off to...
And beach days and barbecues.
All. the. things.
You know what I'm talking about!
And if you're anything like me and cook at home at least twice a day...
Between now and Labor Day...
You'll make over 200 meals at home.
Mind blowing, really.
No wonder so many people feel overwhelmed this time of year!
And if you have an autoimmune condition (or any other chronic illness), summer can feel especially exhausting.
Because while everyone else is talking about vacations and fun plans...
You're wondering if you'll have the energy to keep up.
And here's the thing...
Summer itself doesn't necessarily create more inflammation. (Unless you have a condition like Lupus where time in the sun can be one of your triggers.)
But it does put more demands on your time, your energy, and your routines.
And when you're already running on empty, that can be enough to trigger more flare-ups.
So today I want to give you three simple kitchen tips that can help you have a flare-free summer.
Tip #1: Get the kids involved in cooking.
I know.
At first, this sounds like it's going to make your life harder.
Because let's be honest...
Kids are not known for being efficient in the kitchen.
They slow you down.
They make messes.
And sometimes they ask seventeen questions while you're trying to get dinner on the table.
But hear me out.
👉🏽 Give them a list of meals you want to eat for the week and let them choose which ones you cook first.
(Don't ask them, "what do you want to eat this week". That will only add more stress to your life. Instead, show them the options and let them choose.)
Then...
👉🏽 Let them wash produce.
👉🏽 Let them stir.
👉🏽 Let them chop if they're old enough.
(I let my daughter use a butter knife for chopping easy-to-cut vegetables like mushrooms, cucumbers, zucchini, etc. until she was 9 years old. Then she graduated to a pairing knife.)
👉🏽 Give them ownership.
Because when kids feel like they've had a hand in what's being served...
They're often much more willing to actually eat it.
This can be especially helpful if you have selective eaters at home.
It also takes some of the mental load off of you because you're not carrying the entire burden of feeding everyone all summer long.
And honestly?
It's quality time together.
Less time staring at screens.
More time building memories.
And they're learning life skills they'll use for the rest of their lives which is invaluable!
Tip #2: Create a "Summer Favorites" Meal Plan.
One of the biggest reasons people fall off track with anti-inflammatory eating isn't because they don't know what to eat.
It's because they're tired of making decisions.
So sit down once and make a list of your top ten summer dinners.
👉🏽 Meals everyone enjoys.
👉🏽 Meals that can easily be made Flare Free so they fit your autoimmune wellness goals.
👉🏽 Meals you wouldn't mind eating on repeat.
Write it out and stick it on the fridge.
And now whenever life gets busy and your brain is fried, you don't have to figure out "what's for dinner"!
You already have ten proven options staring back at you.
Decision fatigue is real.
And this is one of the easiest ways to eliminate it.
Tip #3: Stock Your Freezer Before You Need It.
Notice I didn't say stock your freezer when life gets busy?
I said before life gets busy.
Because summer always gets busy.
That's not a surprise.
So prepare for it now.
👉🏽 Make a double batch of something when you cook.
👉🏽 Freeze some Crock Pot soups.
👉🏽 Freeze burger patties.
👉🏽 Shredded chicken.
👉🏽 Meatballs.
Whatever works for your family.
One of my favorite things to freeze during the summer is the raw ingredients for a breakfast egg bake.
I'll whip everything together and freeze it in a zip-top bag.
Then when I need it, I can thaw it and pour it into silicone baking cups for egg cups, a casserole dish for an egg bake, or a gluten-free and dairy-free pie crust for a quiche.
It's one of those little things that makes healthy eating feel so much easier on busy days.
And of course...
Soups.
There's no right or wrong time to eat soup.
Soup is eaten all throughout the summer months all around the world.
In many cultures, soup is actually considered a cooling food during the summer months.
And I personally think it's one of the BEST foods to cook during busy periods because...
It's soooooo easy to make.
It's a very hands-off way of cooking. And there's so many different ways you can make a soup.
Plus!
Soups are super easy to pack with tons of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and all the other nutrients your body needs.
And you almost always have ingredients for soup on hand.
Maybe that's some ground meat in the freezer.
A can of beans in the pantry.
A few onions sitting on the countertop.
And whatever odds and ends of vegetables you have hanging out in the fridge.
And soups freeze and reheat beautifully.
So if you want to stock your freezer with something quick and easy to prepare...
Using ingredients you most-likely already have on hand right now...
So on those ultra-busy summer days when you've been outside all day, don't feel like making a big mess in the kitchen, and just want something quick, delicious, and healthy to eat... Make some soups!
I personally love summer-themed soups for a couple reasons:
1.) It won't feel like a chore to eat soup in the summer if the soups you are eating are celebrating the seasonal produce coming out of your garden...out of the farmers' market...or out of your CSA box
And
2.) When you cook with seasonal produce...it costs less.
So think...
Zucchini White Bean + Ground Turkey Soup Roasted Red Pepper + Tomato Soup, etc... The result? On those super busy days where you've been running from work to sports practice to summer camp and the grocery store...
Or you've spent your whole day entertaining the kids at the pool...the splash pad...or the beach... And the last thing you want to do after a long day in the sun is cook...
You already have something waiting for you.
And for those of us with autoimmunity, protecting our energy matters.
So those are my three kitchen tips for having your healthiest, most flare-free summer yet:
1.) Get the kids involved.
2.) Create a "Summer Favorites" meal plan.
3.) Stock your freezer before you need it.
Simple. Practical. But something that can make a huge difference in your ability to stay consistent with healthy eating which can really transform how you feel over the next few months!
And if you'd like more help like this so you can have the best summer ever - free of autoimmune flare-ups...
Make sure you join the waitlist for my free two-part summer workshop happening next month!
It's taking place on Saturdays, July 11th and 18th and I have two time slots available so you can choose the one that best fits into your schedule and time zone. I'm keeping this small.
Only for the action-takers and the change-seekers.
The folks who are sick and tired of being sick and tired...
Have tried doing this on their own without success...
And are ready to get help learning the small, actionable, baby steps they can start taking to make eating Flare Free a LIFESTYLE CHANGE that ACTUALLY STICKS - not just another diet you give up on after a couple weeks.
YOU'LL LEARN:
How to get yourself in the right mindset to stay consistent no matter how chaotic or stressful life gets
Which foods to eat and avoid to lessen inflammation, reverse autoimmune symptoms, and get back to feeling like your old pre-diagnosis self
How to slowly transition to eating better so this new lifestyle change is realistic for you and your whole family (Because abrupt over-restriction never works long-term)
How to indulge in your trigger foods carefully on occasion so you can enjoy all the best things summer has to offer without ending in a flare every time you eat off plan
How to cook and clean in half the time so you can make this actually fit into your already busy life
There are 3 free prizes I will be raffling off at the end to everyone who shows up live and participates in the workshop.
And everyone who is on the waitlist for the workshop will get early discounted access to the Summer Cohort of my Autoimmune Edible Rx program!
This summer, I'm gifting the first 10 people to join:
4 free live weeks of meal prep instruction that will teach you how to make 3 meals of your choosing in 1 1/2 hours or less!
These spots will sell out fast, so you don't want to miss it!
CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO PUT YOUR NAME ON THE WAITLIST FOR THE FREE 2-PART WORKSHOP so you can be the first to know when spaces open up!
Hope to see you in there!
xo,
Laura
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