Cookout Favorites, Well Done

by Michelle Sutton-Kerchner

This “well done” is not a reference to how you like your meat cooked. We’re talking how to make your grilled food healthier …

A healthy cookout does not have to consist of tofu burgers without buns and spinach salad. If that is your preference, nosh away. However, if you crave more traditional BBQ fare, but not the waist-effects, try these modifications.

Your Entrée: Turn a Villain into a Hero

Grilled meats are usually star players at a cookout. The flame-broiled smell alone is synonymous with summer joy. (Fun fact: So strong is this association, it even comes in seasonal-scented candles.)

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  Choose low-fat cuts and smaller portions. No one needs a .5-pound patty when a .25-pounder satisfies. Regardless of using beef sirloin or ground turkey, thin patties are an easy way to reduce fat and leave room for heathy toppings.

• Replace pork sausage with chicken versions. They are available in a variety of flavors, often with a spicy taste of their own.

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  Vary your types of steak. Tuna and salmon are healthy alternatives to traditional red meat cuts.

• Always marinate meat, if only in olive oil and basic spices. Marinades help reduce toxic compounds that develop when grilling meat over open fire. (Avoid sugary, high-sodium sauces which negate this intended health benefit.)
• Skip the buns or replace with whole wheat. If you are going to spike your insulin levels, do it with something more delicious.

The Henchmen (Also Known as “Side Dishes”)

Banish their evil reputation with a few healthy tweaks.

• Replace the mayonnaise in side salads (like potato salad) with plain non-fat yogurt, fat-free sour cream, or fat-free mayo. Add just enough to hold the ingredients together.
• Swap macaroni salad for pasta salad made with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add lots of chopped fresh veggies.

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  Create a hearty garden salad as your prominent sidekick. Add staples like carrots, celery, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Increase the wow-factor. Toss in the unexpected: fresh broccoli, mushrooms, beets, zucchini, and cauliflower. Top with seasonal sweetness like berries. Replace traditional dressing with homemade vinaigrettes, lemon/lime juice, or pureed fruit.

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  Baked beans with franks must be uninvited to the cookout. For a protein boost while keeping the bean-barbeque tradition alive, make a black bean salsa. Serve with whole wheat dipping chips or use as a topping for grilled meat.

• Condiments: consider fresh tomatoes, lettuce, onion, and avocado toppers in place of high-sodium/sugar ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauces, and relish.

Tackle the Undoing

Don’t let desserts be your undoing. The healthful cookout theme can thrive until the last s’mores are burnt (um, rather, toasted) for the evening. In recognition of National Ice Cream Day (July 15, 2018), everyone deserves an icy cold treat. Try this:

Recipe Alert: Wash berries, chopped melon, or other favorite fruits. Place in ice pop molds or small plastic cups. Pour coconut water or low-sugar lemonade into the remainder of the holder. Freeze for about one hour until partially solidified. Insert ice pop sticks or spoons. Finish freezing until hardened. Enjoy!

Other healthful happy finishers:

• Sliced watermelon
• Frozen, low-fat yogurt
• Baked peaches or apples topped with cinnamon sugar.
• S’mores—They cannot be made healthy. However, the fun process of toasting over an open fire or grill makes for a slow, mindful approach to enjoyment. So, there is that!

Post-Picnic

Accommodate your workout routine. Schedule cookouts and other summer fun around your established fitness commitment. You managed to remain dedicated through holiday madness, winter flu, kids’ school and activity schedules, and your own distractions. Fitting in fitness throughout summer energizes your days. It also makes it easier to satisfy cravings for those BBQ favorites, the ones you can’t quite make healthy. Sangria, anyone?

Image Credits

Grilled salmon steak: pixabay.com/en/salmon-grilled-juicy-food-621422

Apple bake: pixabay.com/en/apple-cake-tart-cake-fruits-931887

Salad ingredients: pixabay.com/en/vegetables-carrot-food-healthy-1085063

Black bean salad: pixabay.com/en/salad-whole-meal-real-food-1996240

Festive drinks: pixabay.com/en/juice-glass-drink-beverage-2561339

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• The Cookout Makeover
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• A Crave-Worthy Cookout
• Your End-of-Summer Checklist
• Need a Quick Pick-Me-Up?