After a long, busy school year filled with stressful exams and balancing homework, summer is finally approaching! You might see it as a break from schoolwork, but we see it as a time to get out and enjoy our favorite summertime dishes! If you´re looking for simple bites that will make your break feel like paradise, we have listed our favorite foods that you can´t miss out on this summer.

1. Poke Bowls

The best dish to satisfy your beachside cravings is poke. Poke is a traditional Hawaiian dish, most popularly featuring freshly cut tuna or salmon, rice, and vegetables, and topped with a variety of dressings such as soy sauce and sesame seeds. Poke has evolved greatly over the years. It was popularized in the 1970s, but as of today, you can find it in many grocery stores, and it has been added to some large food chains’ menus. We highly recommend poke as a summertime snack because of its healthy ingredients and delightful flavors.

2. Chocolate-Dipped Fruit

If you’re looking for a healthy but sweet treat for summer, you should try fruit dipped in chocolate. You can easily prepare this snack with just a chocolate bar and fresh fruit. Then, when you go outside to the beach or to the pool, leave your chocolate bar out to soak up the sun, and before you know it, a delicious treat is ready for you to eat! Although it can get messy, this snack is simple and very versatile, as you can adapt the type of chocolate and fruit you use. 

3. Homemade Blizzards

Another fun summer snack is a homemade blizzard. This homemade treat is perfect for a hot summer day or to satisfy your sweet tooth. Blizzards are very adaptable, with a variety of different ice creams to use as your base and a multitude of candy or fruit mix-ins as well! After our own trial and error, we recommend using plain vanilla and chocolate ice cream and adding in whatever fun candies or treats you love to add to your blizzard. Also, if you’re planning to make these homemade blizzards, freeze your mixing bowl so the ice cream stays cold while being mixed. Our favorite toppings are Reese’s, Oreo, and M&M’s, but truly, you can add anything you can think of. We love these as a treat after tanning, and we hope you enjoy them too!

4. Hot Dogs

A classic–but delicious summer food is definitely hot dogs. Whether you are having a family BBQ night or maybe out camping, nothing beats a warm, snappy hot dog with the sweet and airy bun wrapped around. Hot dogs also pair perfectly with chips, more specifically salt and vinegar chips. Just imagine getting out of the pool: you are cold and tired, until someone hands you a plate with a fresh-off-the-grill hot dog, ketchup drizzled on top, mustard and relish (if you wish) and a side of salt and vinegar chips. Automatically, you are now happy and fulfilled. Don’t get me wrong, hot dogs aren’t something I would want to eat all the time–especially if it’s one of the overly-processed ones–but a fresh hot dog on a hot summer day is irresistible. We have all agreed that hot dogs are superior to burgers, although that may be a very hot take!