{"id":511837,"date":"2026-06-22T01:00:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T01:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/511837\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T01:00:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T01:00:14","slug":"what-should-i-eat-in-a-heatwave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/511837\/","title":{"rendered":"What should I eat in a heatwave?"},"content":{"rendered":"

As temperatures begin to soar across the UK, many of us will instinctively\u00a0 reach for our water bottles to stay hydrated. However, hydrating foods are often overlooked.<\/p>\n

Maintaining a balanced diet and fuelling our body is key to warding off the feelings of fatigue and sluggishness that can accompany a heatwave.<\/p>\n

PA spoke to some experts to find out why our eating habits tend to change during periods of hot weather, and they have also shared their top-10 foods to eat in a heatwave if you are looking for some fresh inspiration.<\/p>\n

What tends to happen with people\u2019s eating habits during a heatwave?<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of the time during a heatwave, especially when we have temperatures like what we\u2019ve got today, the first thing we tend to notice is that our appetite reduces, which can led to a reduced dietary intake,\u201d says Sejal Jacob, Nutritionist Resource member and registered dietitian.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany of us are drawn more towards fluids, which is your body\u2019s natural mechanism to signal that you need to stay hydrated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why is it important to make sure that we are fuelling ourselves with the right food, as well as water, during a heatwave?<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we talk about hydration, it does not just come from what we drink as there are so many fruits and vegetables and other water-rich foods that can also help us stay hydrated,\u201d says Jacob.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about making sure that you\u2019re choosing foods that are easy to eat and digest when your appetite is reduced, and of course that help maintain hydration.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe also want to make sure that we are still getting those essential nutrients in during the heatwave and are having a nutritionally adequate balanced diet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here are some foods to consider adding to your shopping list this week during the heatwave\u2026<\/p>\n

Watermelon<\/p>\n

\"YoungCut yourself a slice of refreshing watermelon (Alamy\/PA)<\/p>\n

\u201cWatermelon helps with hydration during heatwaves because of it has a high water content of over 90%,\u201d says Jacob. \u201cVitamin wise, it\u2019s a good source of vitamin C and has some vitamin A in it too, and also encompasses some electrolytes such as potassium.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s easy to eat a slice on it\u2019s own, but you could also chop it up and put it on some Greek yoghurt and sprinkle some seeds or nuts on top for a bigger snack.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tomatoes<\/p>\n

\"CloseAdd some tomatoes to your meals (Alamy\/PA)<\/p>\n

\u201cTomatoes are very water rich, so are a very nice, light, refreshing food that can really help with hydration,\u201d says Jacob.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey contain lycopene, which is one of the antioxidants which gives tomatoes their red colour, and alongside that they also contains some vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, potassium and small amounts of folate. They are also a good source of fibre.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are so many different types of tomatoes. You could have cherry tomatoes for a snack or chop bigger ones into a salad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grapes<\/p>\n

\"RedGrapes are a fab hydrating snack (Alamy\/PA)<\/p>\n

\u201cGrapes are also very water rich and can be a great snack between meals.\u201d says Jacob.<\/p>\n

Greek yoghurt<\/p>\n

\"WhiteHave some yoghurt for breakfast or after dinner (Alamy\/PA)<\/p>\n

\u201cYoghurt is also a very water-rich food,\u201d says Jacob. \u201cThere are so many different types of yoghurts with different added vitamin profiles and they are often fortified with calcium or iron, but you don\u2019t need to go all fancy. Simple Greek yoghurt that contains live bacteria which will have a probiotic effect is good.<\/p>\n

\u201cA bowl of yoghurt is a great snack and you could also pop some chopped up fruit into it as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Homemade ice lollies<\/p>\n

\"ColourfulMake your own lollies at home (Alamy\/PA)<\/p>\n

\u201cIce lollies on a hot day make a nice treat, they are cooling and hydrating,\u201d says Kirsty Wood<\/a>, Nutritionist Resource member and registered dietitian. \u201cShop-bought ones are fine, or you could make simple versions yourself if you have the time, energy and headspace.<\/p>\n

\u201cBlend your favourite fruit with some coconut water, or yoghurt with a little maple syrup or honey and freeze in moulds overnight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Citrus fruits<\/p>\n

\"FreshCitrus fruits are bursting full of vitamins (Alamy\/PA)<\/p>\n

\u201cOranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit are brilliant heat-weather staples, high in vitamin C and naturally hydrating,\u201d says Wood. \u201cSimply enjoy them as they are to get the fibre benefits, squeeze some into water throughout the day, or use as a base for a light salad dressing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Courgette<\/p>\n

\"Add some courgette to your heatwave lunch (Alamy\/PA)<\/p>\n

\u201cCourgettes are water-rich with around 95% water, they are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B, and potassium, which support your nervous system, energy levels and cardiovascular health,\u201d says Wood.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it\u2019s hot, toss raw into salads, or layer into a poke bowl with some protein and roasted veg.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lettuce<\/p>\n

\"RomaineLettuce is a great base for any salad (Alamy\/PA)<\/p>\n

\u201cLettuce has a really good water content and contains some vitamins and electrolytes like potassium,\u201d says Jacob.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are so many different types of lettuce available, but the Romaine lettuce has a better nutritional and fibre profile and is great in summer salads.\u201d<\/p>\n

Berries<\/p>\n

\"ABerries are full of antioxidants (Alamy\/PA)<\/p>\n

\u201cStrawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries have a high water content and are packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, and fibre,\u201d says Wood. \u201cEat them as they are, stir into plain yoghurt or, if you\u2019re feeling fancy, add frozen berries to water to use as natural ice cubes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cucumber<\/p>\n

\"LotsCucumbers are seriously hydrating (Alamy\/PA)<\/p>\n

\u201cMade up of around 96% water, cucumber is one of the most hydrating foods you can reach for when it gets hot,\u201d says wood. \u201cCucumber is also a source of vitamin K, silica and potassium which all great for cardiovascular health.<\/p>\n

\u201cTry it sliced into cold water with mint, layered into a wrap, or blended into a chilled gazpacho.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As temperatures begin to soar across the UK, many of us will instinctively\u00a0 reach for our water bottles…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":511838,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[103,61,60,446],"class_list":["post-511837","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-nutrition"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/511837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=511837"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/511837\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/511838"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=511837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=511837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=511837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}