It’s fun to have family and friends over for a BBQ. But when you are trying to lose weight it can be a bit of a minefield of unhealthy options.
Today, we give you the low down on how to host a healthy BBQ. And the best part is, your guests won’t even know it!
BBQ’ing is a great way to cook (even better if you can convince someone else to do it for you!).
Lean grilled meats, with loads of healthy salads on the side is in keeping with your healthy eating plan.
Just remember the five S’s and you can’t go wrong.
- Sausages & Steak – who doesn’t love a snag from the BBQ? They don’t have to be off limits when you are trying to lose weight. Go for a low fat or gourmet sausage instead. They tend to be lower in fats and preservatives. Not to mention the flavour is amazing! They can be more expensive than the supermarket staple, so just buy the best ones you can afford. Or encourage the family to eat one instead of two, and fill up on salads instead. When it comes to steak, again it’s best to buy the best that you can afford. Look for steaks around the 200g mark, that are lean and not too thin (to avoid them getting over cooked).
- Sauce – did you know that some BBQ sauce has up to 50g of sugar per 100g of sauce? Or that some tomato sauces have around 30g of sugar per 100g? It’s enough to make you think twice before squeezing away merrily on the sauce bottle this weekend. A great idea is to make your own special salsa to dollop onto meat. Blend together 4 chopped tomatoes, the juice of one lime, a clove of garlic and a bunch of coriander leaves and you’ve got a flavour-packed salsa that the family will love. For a creamier option, mix it with low fat ricotta / sour cream / cottage cheese.
- Salads – instead of opting for the creamy mayonnaise filled coleslaw or pasta salads from the supermarket, make your own healthy versions at home. For a quick and easy coleslaw, thinly slice a quarter of a red cabbage, grate 2 carrots, chop up 2 shallots, and cover in a dressing made from 3 tablespoons of low fat mayo, 5 tablespoons of natural or Greek yoghurt, 3 tablespoons of Dijon mustard, a big bunch of parsley leaves, 1 tablespoon of grainy mustard and 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. This dressing also works well on a pasta salad.
- Sides – having a BBQ isn’t an excuse to overdo it on the white bread. Try to buy a mixture of bread rolls, including healthy wholegrain options (even better if you can get some with seeds on top).
- Snacks – sometimes it is just a bad habit that makes us think we need to serve potato chips or unhealthy dips at a BBQ. Lighten the calorie load by making your own healthy dips and serve them with crisp vegetables such as carrots, celery, cauliflower, radish or cherry tomatoes.
Here’s to a healthy BBQ!
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