Making Healthy Choices At A BBQ

When the weather warms up, it’s fun to get friends and family together for a BBQ.

But when you are trying to lose weight, the usual suspects at a traditional BBQ can be less than healthy options.
So today we’ve got some tips to help you navigate your way through a BBQ meal. And don’t worry, no one will even realise.

Swap the chip and dip for cheese and veggie sticks

When you arrive at a BBQ, it’s a good idea not to be ravenously hungry. BBQ’s are notorious for running late – often you’ve been there for an hour or two before someone puts the meat on.
So before you leave home, have a healthy snack to tide you over. That could be a banana, some yoghurt and berries, or a handful of nuts.
BBQ nibbles tend to lean towards the chips and creamy dips as they are generally crowd pleasers. But if you are trying to lose weight they are best avoided.
Most BBQ hosts will pop out a cheese platter so why not choose to eat a small amount of good quality cheese instead, and enjoy with a cracker or some carrot or celery sticks.

Swap the snags for lean steak

Sausages are a BBQ staple, but be warned – they can often contain a lot of fat. By swapping the snags for a piece of lean meat such as steak or chicken skewers, you will be upping the protein and reducing the fat content of your meal.

Swap the sauce for salsa or mustard

You might think that a squirt or two of sauce won’t do any harm – but did you know that the average bottle of BBQ sauce is 45% sugar? And for tomato sauce it’s around 24% sugar.
Over the course of the day all the little extra bits here and there really do add up, so it pays to keep an eye on those.
Why not choose to flavour your meat (if it needs it – often adding sauce is just a habit) with some hot English or grainy mustard?
You could also bring along a healthy salsa to share with everyone – we love this salsa recipe.
In a food processor or blender, bring together 4 ripe tomatoes, the juice of a lime, 1 tsp chilli, 1 tsp garlic, salt and pepper, and a small bunch of fresh coriander leaves and stems.

Swap the creamy coleslaw for a leafy green salad

All too often, BBQ side dishes are heavy on the mayo (coleslaw) or cream (potato bake).
It’s often best to stick to the healthier leafy green salads which you can see are packed full of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and other crispy veggies.
You can also often find other healthy options such as corn on the cob or roasted veggie skewers.
If you are bringing along a salad, why not go for our Rainbow Coleslaw – it’s made with yoghurt instead of mayo and is totally delicious.

Swap the sugary drinks for sparkling water

It’s not often that you’ll attend a BBQ that doesn’t have a fridge or esky full of soft drinks. And if you don’t come prepared, it may be that these are all there are to drink.
Why not plan ahead and bring along your own sparkling water and fresh lime to squeeze into it. You’ll be able to stay hydrated without filling up on teaspoon after teaspoon of sugar and colourings. Try our delish drink recipes from our summer cookbook too

Swap the desserts for fresh fruit

So often after a big BBQ meal, out come the creamy and sugary desserts. If you can, stick to a small piece and enjoy it. If you know that you can’t stop at a small piece, why not tuck into some fresh fruit instead.
Watermelon, pineapple and mango is in season now and is often a refreshing end to a tasty meal.

BBQ Recipes

And if you are planning your own BBQ then make sure you grab a copy of our Summer Cookbook which is packed full of healthy recipe ideas including BBQ recipes and drink recipes that the whole family will love!
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