I’ve written about the meals my adult daughters love to make in the summer (see my post). It’s so much fun to have them home, and I love that they’re interested in cooking and making healthy meals together.

We use the grill quite a bit in the summer- it’s easy, but also makes food taste so amazing with that smokey flavor. Proteins, fruits and vegetables all lend themselves beautifully to grilling, and those are also the building blocks of a healthy meal. In our household, we are dealing with heart disease, diabetes and an immune disorder- argh! So we are aiming for low fat, low sugar, and anti-inflammatory foods as much as possible. Grilling can really accommodate this lifestyle, since you can make healthy, diet-friendly lunches or dinners (or even breakfasts) taste amazing without much fuss. It’s so much easier to let the grill do all the work and bring out those delicious grilled flavors.

Our favorite meals we grill in the summer!

Fish Packets. We are HUGE fans of grilling in foil packets, and this recipe was honestly one of the first fish dishes my daughter loved, so I credit it to exposing her to a very healthy protein. We use a white fish like Mahi or Swordfish, since these types of fish are meatier.

To make the packet, spray a generous piece of foil with cooking spray, and place your fresh (or defrosted) fish in the middle. Season the fish liberally with salt and pepper, garlic powder and cayenne. Try Old Bay, or honestly whatever spices you like. We made these the other day, and I cut some freshly planted parsley and cilantro to top off my fish! Check out my recent blog on using fresh herbs!

We add a few cloves of garlic, shallots, and lots of sliced red onion. Put a few dollops of butter or margarine, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and some lemon slices on top. Wrap up your packet fairly tightly and cook between 5-7 minutes per side.

Vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, fennel or green beans go perfectly with this fish, with a little side of rice. We make thsee veggies in the oven (400 degrees for 20 minutes) since they will not cook through on the grill at the same rate as the fish packet.

Taco Foil Packets. Along the lines of the fish packets, we love to make packets that can be dumped right into a tortilla for a special taco dinner. If using fish for these packets I go for a tilapia, because it cooks down into the perfect consistency for tacos. You can opt for shrimp, chicken or beef here too- just like your regular taco selections at a restaurant.

In addition to garlic, onions and shallots, we add some fresh diced tomatoes, as well as corn (or grill it separately-see below), and mild and hot peppers to our packets. Serve these with some cilantro lime rice, salsa, chips and guacamole. See my Mexican Dinner Party post for the full menu for a Mexican-themed meal!

Chicken Skewers. Any skewers with protein and/or vegetables are delicious and also fun to eat. Make sure to soak the skewers in water for about a half hour before using, so they don’t burn. I highly suggest marinating any chicken you intend to grill (chicken thighs and legs are also totally delicious). Use barbecue sauce or an acid like balsamic vinegar or Italian dressing (this is what I use to marinate the perfect chicken tenders- see my post on this). Just lace up the skewers, and cook on high heat for about five minutes per side. Grilled chicken skewers go great in an Asian meal with Korean barbecue sauce. If you’re going for this flavor profile- I’d suggest a peanut dipping sauce for the chicken satay!

Turkey Burgers. These are a heathy spin on a regular burger. You have to work a little harder to get these to be juicy, as turkey tends to be dry. We drench these in some sort of tasty sauce like barbecue. If you have these well-seasoned (garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper, red pepper flakes) with a sauce for flavor and moisture, you can’t go wrong! We go with a 647 hamburger roll that is lighter on carbs.

Pizza. We have this really cute little pizza ‘oven’.

This gadget goes directly onto the grill for about 15 minutes and the pizza comes out wonderfully. Make your pizza (we like to use pre-made pizza dough for a much easier experience, but it’s easy enough to make yourself, see here) by spreading out the dough onto the pizza stone until covered, adding sauce, and your favorite cheese and toppings. Pizza is not necessarily the healthiest meal on this list, but these are personal-size so the portions are downsized. A fat free cheese, home-made sauce, and fresh herbs and vegetables CAN make this a much healthier version of your standard takeout from the local pizzeria.

Steaks. We think nothing is as good as steaks fresh off the grill, with a baked potato, Caesar salad, and some roasted broccolini. They are kind of a luxury at our house, and we don’t have them too often. We are super careful cooking steak, since it’s so expensive and having it come out correctly is not very easy. We do a lot of research on cook times depending on cut and thickness, and for sure rely on a meat thermometer for internal temperatures. We tend to go with filets and NY strips, since they’re bit thinner, leaner and easier to gauge the doneness.

Zucchini. We love zucchini on skewers (see the photo at the top), but also on their own like on the plate below. It’s one of the few vegetables that can stand up to the heat of the grill without falling apart. We cut them into quarters and add plenty of olive oil and salt. Grill for about three minutes per side. I love the simplicity of this!

It is a perfect side dish for proteins, with maybe a little rice and mashed potatoes.

Corn. We almost always make corn on the cob with our summer dishes. It is SO GOOD from our local Farmer’s Market (see my post on what you must buy there!) the entire summer. We make ours so simply- putting each one, husk and all (with the silk fibers removed) onto a piece of aluminum foil with a little spray of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter and some salt. Grill for ten minutes per side. For a fantastic Mexican Street Corn variation, slather some mayonnaise seasoned with cumin onto your freshly grilled corn, then dip generously into a bowl of cojita cheese. Yum.

Peaches or Pineapple. A perfect dessert in the summer is some grilled fruit on vanilla ice cream. Peaches and pineapple are our favorites, because they are already so naturally sweet, so grilling really caramelizes the flavors and brings out that sweetness even more.

We cut our peaches in half, remove the pit, and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle some brown sugar and cinnamon on top, and grill, sugar-side down. We use a grill pan for these, because the juiciness can make a bit of a mess of the grill. Five minutes on the first side, then flip and do another two minutes. Dollop ice cream, yogurt or creme freche on top and sprinkle with a little more cinnamon sugar.

The same recipes goes for pineapples- just cut them into spears that are easy to manage. Grilled pineapple also goes beautifully on chicken skewers, or added to a healthy bowl like the one below. See an upcoming post about healthy bowls!

I hope that you have some fun grilling this summer, and reaping the benefits of an abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs. Mix up your ingredients, spices and flavors to find some new favorite meals to enjoy with friends and family! Happy grilling!