05/26/2023
Here is a common summertime refrain from folks struggling with their diets:
âI love hosting friends and family for an old-fashioned BBQ, but my new diet* will fail if I eat whatever I want at my backyard barbecue. I need to throw a healthier barbecue, but I want my friends to enjoy the barbecue!! What should I do?â
Who doesnât love a BBQ? What would Memorial Day be without it The smell of grilled food; the beauty and comfort of a summer evening with loved ones. And that food! Oh, yum! Cheeseburgers and hot dogs smothered in ketchup and mustard, potato salad, pie⌠Getting hungry? Donât worry! Your next BBQ going to be the hit of the summerâŚdonât think of it as âhealthy and boringâ but rather as âexciting with new choices and variety.â
Thatâs tip number one: you donât have to send all the old foods packing. You just have to introduce some new items to balance things out a bit. Depending on your needs and comfort, you may want to keep the old fatty parts of the barbecue aroundâsome of your guests (especially the kids) might want them! Whether to keep the old fatty foods around depends on you and your family. If youâre far enough into your diet* that you can resist the temptations while still enjoying yourself, then keep them around for guests. If not, donât sweat it: your guests are not going to go hungry!
So, what should you add to the mix to make your barbecue healthy? Hereâs my list:
Kebabs! Try chicken with peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, any of your favorite vegetables; skewer them, brush with teriyaki sauce, and grill to perfection. Itâs a low fat fare, and itâs delicious!
Salmon or favorite fish: grill a whole fillet onto a sheet of foil large enough to fold like a taco. Slice half a lemon: layer the slices over the top of the salmon and squeeze the other half over the top of the whole thing. Season and wrap the foil to make a make a generous pocket and marinate overnight in the fridge. Grill it for about 10 minutes, depending on thickness. What a super low-cal 4th of July treat!
Poultry based sausage or burgers, like turkey burgers. Think these are gross? Maybe you havenât tried one for a whileâŚsome of the brands have fun flavors, and a few are really delicious! Also, cut the fat by MIXING turkey and beef burger!
Bring out the veggies! Grilled vegetables are great! Add salt, pepper and your favorite flavoring (Worcestershire sauce, anyone?), and youâll be shocked by the flavor of a grilled veggie! Most vegetables cook in less than ten minutes on direct medium heat. Give these a try: Red, white, or sweet onion, sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds; corn on the cob (take off the husks and silks); whole portabella mushrooms grilled like a burger or cut into thick slices; eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices; zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices; asparagus spearsâtrim off the white end and grill the spears whole; asparagus!
Remove the fat from your meat before you grill it! Most of the fat in chicken is in the skinâget rid of it! Most of the fat in steak and pork chops is in the visible fatâget rid of it!
Is there a healthy BBQ dessert? Yep!
Try grilled fruit: pineapple is phenomenalâtop it with a low-fat, low-calorie homemade ice cream or frozen yogurt- experiment with some other fruits⌠So many possibilities! If grilled fruit doesnât work for you, try a fruit salad or a light-fruit based sherbet.
Remember fruit-flavored popsicles, from when you were a kid? They are often surprisingly low calorie, and you can make your own!
Best wishes kicking off summer and keep it healthy! Happy Memorial Day! (* not a diet- a lifestyle change with TOPS)
