Summer menu for intermittent fasting 18/6

Refreshing, nutritious and adapted to your needs

If you follow Protocol 18/6, means you eat in a 6-hour window and fast the remaining 18 hours.

To keep your menu balanced, we've prepared four summer recipes — two gluten-free and two dairy-free — perfect for your main meal and snack from the food window. All are easy to prepare, ideal for high temperatures, and come accompanied by complete nutritional values.

Light, colorful and suitable for hot days

Have you chosen the 18/6 protocol, but you are wondering what to eat in summer? No need to reinvent the wheel — in today's article I offer you a full menu of easy, nutritious and seasonal recipes. Bonus? We also have gluten-free and dairy-free variants, for those who need special adaptations.

🌿 Why a special menu for summer?

In the warm period, the body has other needs. We feel the need for lighter meals, increased hydration, and foods that support our energy without making our digestion difficult. That's exactly what you'll find in the recipes below!

🍽️ Menu 18/6 — 5 main recipes for summer

1. Mediterranean salad with chickpeas and feta

Ingredients:

• 100g cooked chickpeas
• 50g feta cheese
• cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olives, red onion
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, oregano

Method of preparation:
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, season with oil, lemon and oregano. Leave it in the fridge for 10 minutes for a more intense taste.

2. Vegetable stew with whole rice

Ingredients:

• 1/2 zucchini, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 bell pepper
• 100g cooked whole grain rice
• 1 tablespoon oil, salt, paprika, thyme

Method of preparation:
Sauté the vegetables in oil, add the spices and boil them with a little water until tender. Serve with the warm rice.

3. Grilled chicken with summer salad and hummus

Ingredients:

• 120g chicken breast
• lettuce, cucumber, tomato, onion
• 2 tablespoons humus
• olive oil, lemon, salt, pepper

Method of preparation:
Roast the chicken breast on the grill with spices. Serve it over the salad and add humus next to it.

4. Omelet with dried tomatoes and zucchini

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs + 2 egg whites
• 1/2 grated zucchini
• 3 dried tomatoes in oil
• salt, pepper, oregano

Method of preparation:
Beat the eggs and mix with the zucchini and chopped tomatoes. Cook over low heat in a greased pan.

5. Whole wheat pasta with basil pesto and cherry tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 80g whole pasta
• 1 tablespoon pesto
• sliced cherry tomatoes
• grated parmesan (optional)

Method of preparation:
Boil the pasta, drain them and mix them with pesto and tomatoes. Serve with a drizzle of Parmesan cheese.

6. Refreshing salad with red beans, cherry tomatoes and parsley

Ingredients:

• 150g red beans
• 100g cherry tomatoes cut in half
• 1 small cucumber, chopped
• a bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• salt and pepper to taste

Method of preparation:Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and let cool 10—15 minutes before serving.

7. Bowl with quinoa, green vegetables and boiled egg

Ingredients:

• 100g cooked quinoa
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• a handful of fresh spinach
• 1/2 sliced avocado
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• lemon juice, salt, pepper

Method of preparation:Place the quinoa as a base in a bowl, add the vegetables, sliced eggs and avocado. Drizzle with oil and lemon juice.

8. Baked salmon with grilled vegetables

Ingredients:

• 150g salmon fillet
• 1 sliced zucchini
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• salt, pepper, rosemary

Method of preparation:Season the salmon and vegetables, bake them in the oven for 15—20 minutes at 180°C or cook them on the grill.

9. Cold cucumber soup with Greek yogurt and dill

Ingredients:

• 2 large cucumbers
• 150g Greek yogurt (10%)
• 1 clove of garlic
• fresh dill, salt, pepper

Method of preparation:Mix the ingredients in a blender until you get a fine cream. Serve cold.

10. Spreads with ricotta, peaches and seeds

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of whole grain bread
• 100g ricotta
• 1 thinly sliced peach
• 1 teaspoon flaxseed or hemp

Method of preparation:Grease the slices of bread with ricotta, add the peach slices and sprinkle the seeds on top.

🏱 BONUS: Gluten-free recipes for fasting

Quinoa with avocado, corn and boiled egg

Ingredients:

• 100g cooked quinoa
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• 1/2 avocado
• 1 teaspoon olive oil, lemon, salt

Method of preparation:
Mix quinoa with egg slices, diced avocado and oil and lemon dressing.

🥣 Cold soup of cucumbers, vegetable yogurt and horseradish

Ingredients:

• 1 large cucumber, peeled and diced
• 200 ml vegetable yogurt (preferably from coconut or almond, without sugar)
• 1 teaspoon grated horseradish (or to taste)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• Salt and pepper to taste
• (Optional) 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Method of preparation:

Put all the ingredients in a blender and mix until you get a homogeneous cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. Refrigerate 15—30 minutes before serving. You can decorate with dill leaves and a few drops of olive oil.

🔸 Horseradish adds extra intensity, supports digestion and has anti-inflammatory properties.

🔸 Ideal for hot summer days or as a refreshing starter in an intermittent fasting menu.

🏱 BONUS: Dairy-Free Recipes for Fasting

Chickpea stew with zucchini and cilantro

Ingredients:

• 100g cooked chickpeas
• 1/2 zucchini, small onion
• coriander, turmeric, salt

Method of preparation:
Sauté the vegetables, add the chickpeas and spices. Serve warm.

Crepes with red lentil paste and baked peppers

Ingredients:

• 2 slices dairy-free whole grain bread
• boiled red lentil paste
• baked peppers cut into strips

🔪 Preparation — step by step:

1. Choose the type of lentils:
2. It is used red lentils— it is best suited for cream/pasta, as it boils quickly and has a soft texture, perfect for passing.
3. Boil lentils:
4. ‍Rinse thoroughly 100g of red lentilsunder a stream of cold water.

• Put it to boil with water (ratio 1:3) for a while 10—12 minutes, until it softens completely and begins to disintegrate.
• Drain the excess water, if necessary, and let it cool down a little.
• Prepare lentil paste:

Pass the boiled lentils with:

You can also add a powder of Cuminor smoked sweet paprika, for extra flavor.

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 clove of garlic (optional)
• a little lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the baked peppers:

1. If you do not have baked peppers ready, you can bake one in the oven or on the flame, then clean it from the peel and seeds.
2. Cut it into thin strips.

Assemble the tartlets:

1. Lightly fry 2 slices of whole grain bread(or gluten-free, if you prefer).
2. Grease them with lentil paste.
3. Place the strips of baked peppers on top.
4. Optional: sprinkle with fresh parsley or sesame seeds.

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