Welcome to summer! Canadians work hard for their very few and very short dog days of the season. My hope is that you make the most of them with delicious hydrating, high nutrient foods. Just for fun, take a look at what the Meteorological Service of Canada predicts the hottest day will be in your area. Then we can stock up on the high nutrient foods to keep you going.

Predicted Hottest Day of the year, by Canadian city

Summer's quintessential quencher, watermelon, can not only hydrate but also balance your electrolytes with its mineral content. According to Medical News Today, one cup of watermelon contains 17% of vitamin A, 21% of vitamin C, 2% of iron and 1% of calcium needs for the day. Watermelon also contains thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, pantothenic acid,magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, choline, lycopene and betaine.
Don't go grabbing a sugar loaded sports drink to rehydrate, try these methods instead:
• Make watermelon water by blending one cup of cubed watermelon and adding to one litre of water.
• Freeze cubes to suck on (great dog treats too!)
• Use watermelon to make salsa or gazpacho in place of tomatoes. Check out a few recipes at www.watermelon.org
• Slip a slice of watermelon into a grilled cheese. Trust me, it's delicious!
Any fruit or vegetable will help hydrate you to beat the heat but there is something special about watermelon juice running down your forearms that brings you right back to summer camp days.
And when you have had your fill of the fruit out of hand, chop up any remaining and make this salsa. It pairs well with corn chips (and a Riesling, just saying) but is also a refreshing addition to grilled fish, chicken or pork.
Watermelon Salsa

This is a high nutrient, low sodium salsa to serve in place of tomato salsas with bread or corn chips. It is also great as a topping for grilled chicken, fish or pork. And when you are done with that application, blend it and serve it as gazpacho.

Makes 4-6 servings Takes: 10-12 minutes

1 cup diced seedless watermelon
3/4 cup diced strawberries
1/4 cup diced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons diced seeded jalapeno chile
1 tablespoon lime juice

Toss together gently in a bowl and chill in fridge at least one hour before serving.

Theresa is an on-camera food and health expert, nutritionist and writer who loves to spread the word on food.