Sizzling summer muscle demands a cool diet. Shun the oven for a sun-spiked meal that’s on your plate

When you’re busy working overtime to transform your torso for summer, you need fresh, tasty post-gym meals that go from fridge to fork fast. But tiresome bowls of kale are best left to Lululemon-clad ladies who lunge. Instead, we gave one chef a list of 10 foods proven to lift energy, repair muscles and blast fat, then challenged her to transform them into light summer dishes that are easy to prep and packed with flavour. Enjoy this al fresco dinner and you’ll hit your morning session with gusto

01/ SPRING ONIONS

These onions are a bright idea for your body; they contain allicin, which aids muscle repair and increases antioxidant activity, according to the journal Phytotherapy Research.

02/ FENNEL

Ditch the banana; this hardy herb delivers on your potassium needs. Just one bulb provides a quarter of your RDI, as well as helping combat gas and regulate hunger. It’ll ensure you’re all bulk and no bloat.

03/ ROCKET

Packed full of nitrate, these greens boost your bloodflow and oxygen supply, so you can make better use of your gym time. Your muscle gains are sure to ramp up.

04/ AVOCADO

The flesh is full of vitamin B6, which reduces fatigue and helps your body turn carbs into energy. Pick one up and power through pre-holiday workouts.

05/ MINT

Working for six-pack definition stresses your abs, which can lead to spasms and knots. Mint works as a natural muscle relaxant to help you, ahem, leaf the pain behind.

06/ CHILLI

Beat infections with beta-carotene. Chilli ups your dose of multiple vitamins to keep germs at bay – useful if the guy on the bench before you didn’t wipe it down

07/ TUNA STEAK

This meaty fish is hearthealthy. It’s rich in potassium but sodium-poor, curbing your risk of high blood pressure. It also reduces water retention. Your abs will have nowhere to hide.

08/ CUCUMBER

As one of the few foods that contains silica, cucumber improves calcium assimilation to boost bone density and strength, keeping you in the running

09/ SPANISH ONION

It’s a top source of quercetin, an antiinflammatory flavonoid that increases your nitric oxide, for better stamina, says the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

10/ LEMON

This sharp finishing touch is packed with vitamin C – an ally of energising iron. It enhances the mineral’s absorption, squeezing more from the rocket and tuna; the perfect pairing.