With the weather heating up, BBQ season is almost upon us. There’s nothing like gathering with a group of friends to enjoy a cool drink and some delicious summer food.
Unfortunately, the humble BBQ is a prime location for best laid weight loss plans to go awry.
The thing with BBQ’s is that they tend to go for an extended period of time. Forget walking in, ordering, eating and heading home, like you’d do at a restaurant.
It’s not unusual for a BBQ to begin in the late afternoon and still be going strong late into the evening, offering hours of opportunity for your healthy eating plan to be sabotaged.
Chips and dips, white bread, sugary sauces and all manner of fatty meats are usually on the menu. Not to mention soft drink (and alcohol) by the bottle. It’s a veritable feast for excess calorie consumption. One that the most stringent exercise plan will have trouble countering!
There’s no reason to eschew the BBQ altogether however. With a little pre-planning and some simple switches, there’s no reason why this summer’s celebrations can’t be chock full of delicious, healthy foods to complement your diet and weight loss plan.
And after switching to the good stuff, we can’t see why anyone would want to switch back to the ol’ white bread sausage sanger swimming in tomato sauce.
Simple switches for a waistline friendly BBQ
- Swap high calorie, sodium coated chips for yummy veggies. Freshly cut vegetables, like carrot and cucumber make delcious dipping sticks. For something a little more substantial, you can even cut root veggies like sweet potato, pumpkin and parsnip into wedges, drizzle them with olive oil, garlic and spices like paprika and roast them in a 180C oven for 50 minutes. You’ll never fill a bowl with corn chips again!
- Still keen on carbs? Stack four wholemeal flat breads on top of each other and slice into quarters then quarter those quarters. Place on a baking try and into a warm oven for approximately 20 minutes. Remove from the oven for freshly toasted pita chips, ideal for dipping or served on the side as an accompaniment to salad.
- Makeover your dips – Rich, creamy dips, like cheese and chive may taste delicious but are full of excess calories. Shop bought dips can be a great choice but check the labels for hidden nasties like a high salt content and excess sugar. Your best bet? Make your own! Chunky Guacamole or spicy salsa are both great options and a cinch to make. Check out some other great options here.
- Stock up on salad. Piling your plate with colourful salad cuts down on calories and adds a whole variety of nutrients to your meal. Forget a boring bowl of iceberg and the odd tomato, a creatively made salad can be the star attraction on the trestle table. Green Bean and veggie based salads help balance out all that meat, and taste rather delicious as well!
- Steer clear of sausages – processed meats like sausages and pre-packaged burger patties are often best avoided if you’re sticking to a weight loss plan as the meat used is often less than trim. Purchasing lean, 100% beef or chicken patties is a good option, or whipping up a batch at home means you’re in control of the ingredients and the calories. Try these delish chicken burgers with parmesan and yoghurt or a healthy beef or veggie burger.
- Choose dessert wisely. The best part of a BBQ in my opinion? The dessert! I’m a real sweet tooth and am especially partial to cake. I know that depriving myself isn’t the best option so I try and split my plate. Cake/tart or sweet treat in one quarter and yummy fruit salad in the other. I also try and go for cakes like fruit fans, which can be the best of a calorie laden bunch or individual tarts as the serving sizes are more reasonable.
If you are ready to lose weight then the Lose Baby Weight plans offer a healthy and safe exercise and diet routine that are safe in breastfeeding and can help support your milk supply
And don’t forget to check out our current promotions and discounts page to see what specials we have on this week on our Healthy Mummy product range
