Beverages and cooling meals - the perfect choice for hot days!
Laura Schneider
2026-03-21
3 min. read
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There are a certain number of dishes and snacks that are directly associated with hot summer days. During heatwaves, the majority of people notice a decrease in their appetite. Rarely do we come across instances of consuming rich hot meals, more often we reach for beverages, cooling meals, and other refreshing dishes. Does cold food really help to cool down the body? Below you will find several suggestions for beverages and cooling meals that are worth trying out!
Compositions and cold appetizers
According to the definition, a composition is a non-alcoholic refreshing drink, fruit or fruit-milk beverage with additives. Most often, this term refers to a drink made by combining fruits with a milk-based drink - milk, yogurt, kefir. Mixed fruits combined with juice or water is a smoothie. A cold appetizer is simply a soup served cold (at a maximum temperature of 14°C). Can cold food help survive the hot summer day at all?
Chilled food and body temperature
Chilled food can temporarily lower the temperature in the mouth. In the study of B. H. Newman and C. A. Martin, 10 volunteers measured their oral temperature after consuming hot and cold beverages. The hot beverage caused a transient increase in temperature, while the cold caused a decrease. Further measurements were made after 5, 10, 20, and 30 minutes. In most participants, the temperature returned to baseline after 10 minutes. Therefore, consuming chilled drinks and meals on hot days can provide a pleasurable, transient cooling effect. D. Lafata and colleagues showed in their study that consuming chilled water during physical activity can lead to a slower increase in body temperature. The study involved 45 men with an average age of 30 years. They completed 2 training sessions of 60 minutes each. During breaks, they drank water – one group chilled (4°C), the other at room temperature (22°C). In the group consuming chilled water, the average increase in temperature during exercise was significantly lower compared to the second group. Therefore, chilled drinks can likely more effectively support maintaining a lower body temperature during physical activity.
The paradox of capsaicin
Despite appearances, spicy food can be consumed on hot days. Capsaicin, responsible for the spicy taste, irritates receptors that are sensitive to high temperatures. If we consume something spicy, we can experience a sensation of steaming. In response, the body increases sweat production, which has a cooling effect.
Inspirations in the guise of beverages and cooling dishes
In searching for ideas for accessible and refreshing dishes, it is worth casting our gaze towards those countries where the summer is substantially hotter than in Poland, for instance, Bulgaria.
Tarator - a famous Bulgarian cold soup
Ingredients: cucumbers - 2 large pieces, Balkan yogurt - 3 glasses, finely chopped Italian nuts - a handful, garlic cloves - several, a bunch of dill - 1, olive oil - 4 teaspoons, salt, freshly ground black and white pepper - to taste. Peel and chop the cucumbers. Beat the yogurt and pour it into a pot. Add cold water to achieve the desired consistency. Then add the cucumbers, chopped or finely chopped garlic, several chopped Italian nuts, chopped dill, black and white pepper. Finally, mix it with olive oil and season with salt to taste. Pour the prepared tarator into bowls. Decorate it with the remaining chopped nuts and a dill sprig.
Cold soup from a scarce tree
Ingredients: scarce tree 4 bunches, finely chopped parsley four tablespoons Balkan yogurt glass, ?? cream cup (150 g), black pepper, chervil, celery, sugar, salt, lemon juice to taste. Thoroughly wash the tree and grate it on a grater. Then mix it well with the yogurt. Add cream, lemon juice and spices. Mix everything again. Sprinkle with small pieces of finely chopped green herbs.
Beverage composed of strawberries and lemons
Ingredients: strawberries (possibly frozen) – 10 pieces, water – 1/2 glass, lemon juice – 1/4 glass, natural yogurt – cup (150 g). All the aforementioned ingredients should be mixed. Depending on personal preferences, more strawberries or more water can be added. Add sweetener if needed.
Pieces of frozen peaches in a beverage
Required ingredients: – peaches (as per preference, preferably cut into pieces beforehand and frozen), – natural yogurt – cup (150 g), – milk (1/2 glass). All these products should be thoroughly mixed to achieve a smooth consistency.
