6 Tips for eating healthy at cook outs and barbecues

Jeneba Jalloh Ghatt

10 years ago

This Summer, we can easily pack on the pounds at various events that revolve around food. Cook outs and barbecues are common places for you to let your diet go to pot! Even the healthiest of eaters can be overwhelmed by the array of dips and fixings at a typical summer bash. According to the Daily Mail, the average BBQ diner eats more than 3,000 calories in a single sitting – the equivalent to a day and a half’s worth of food for the typical woman. Life Time – The Healthy Way of Life Company’s Registered Dietician Laura Burbank suggests six simple ways to keep BBQ fare from becoming a dieter’s nightmare.

We hope you can consider letting your readers know about these healthy BBQ tips:

Skip the Chips Salty, crispy, grab-able snacks such as chips, pretzels and snack mixes are everywhere at summer social gatherings. To counter the temptations, fill up the buffet tables with healthier foods with a crunch like salty kale chips or strips of bell peppers to dip in spicy hummus, guacamole, or sour cream. Produce such as broccoli florets, carrots, jicama, cherry tomatoes and baby cucumbers also make great snacks.

H2O Isn’t Just for the Pool Juice, sodas and sweetened teas are often made with high-fructose corn

syrup and may contain brominated vegetable oil, which can wreak havoc on our bodies. Instead, pack coolers with sparkling mineral water, unsweetened tea, or offer a water cooler filled with chilled cucumber – mint or berry/citrus-infused water.

Banish the Bun Despite the fact that bread products raise blood sugar as quickly and as much as eating two tablespoons of pure sugar, we still seem to fill these picnic staples with anything we can throw on the grill. Try going bun-less by eating with a fork and knife to slow down your eating. Use a lettuce-wrap approach to put some color into your meal or toss your grilled goods on top of a plate of hearty salad greens.

Eat Your Hotdog Naked Most condiments are packed with unsavory additives to enhance flavor, shelf

life, texture, or appearance. Season with fresh or dried herbs and seasonings and try dry rubs for chicken and ribs, pack some fresh herbs and spices into your grass-fed burger patties, or marinate your poultry or seafood with olive oil, citrus, and herbs before searing them on the grill. Fresh salsa, guacamole, sour cream, or hearty mustard are great toppings for your bun-less burger, chicken, or brats.

Make Faux Salads a Faux Pas Potato salads, macaroni salad and pasta salad do not offer our bodies any true nourishment. Replacing these sides with some roasted vegetable salads or crisp, lightly-dressed coleslaw or use Greek yogurt in place of mayonnaise or sour cream when making your own side dishes.

Don’t Chase the Ice Cream Man Popular summer desserts such as gelatin and colorful ice pops include

artificial coloring agents that could just as easily dye our hair, clothing, or crafts. Instead, choose to naturally sweeten up your party with fruit kabobs, frozen berries with heavy cream, or homemade real-fruit popsicles.

Happy healthy eating!