Top 10 Tips for a Healthier BBQ

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Top 10 Tips for a Healthier BBQ

July is National Grilling Month! The sun is out and your grill is just waiting to get fired up. Here are our Top 10 Tips on how to make your family’s BBQ session as delicious and nutritious as possible:

1. Say Nayo to the Mayo

  • German style potato salad is a great alternative because it uses dijon vinegar as opposed to mayonnaise
  • Try using low fat Greek yogurt to get that tangy flavor
  • If you must go for the mayo, choose a healthier option made with olive oil and whole eggs or cut your mayo with olive oil

    2. Clean up your BBQ sauce

    • Cooking from scratch is always the way to go whenever possible. Try our homemade Quick & Easy BBQ Sauce recipe.

    3. Rock some rosemary

    • Pair your meat with this super herb to gain a taste of its incredible nutritional benefits which include: activating anti-cancer genes in our body, regulating insulin production, lowering cholesterol, its function as a diuretic flushing toxins from our body, reducing levels of cortisol and thus reducing stress and anxiety levels.

      4. More Marination

      • Marinating your meat not only adds flavor, it has been shown to reduce absorption of potentially toxic compounds  can be created during the grilling process
      • Try our Magnificent Marinade recipe. Simply place meat in a large plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.

      5. Cook your meat with care

      • When meat is cooked on high heat, fat drips causing potentially harmful chemicals to be formed and deposited on the meat by the rising smoke. To minimize this risk trim the fat away before grilling.
      • If you really want to minimize this, try placing a metal pan between the meat and the BBQ’s coals in order to catch the fat after it drips. And try scraping charred parts off of the cooked meat.

        6. Krazy for Kabobs

        • No meat is complete without some veggie power by its side. Try throwing some organic mushrooms, corn, carrots, peppers, squash, onions or zucchini onto some wooden skewers. you’ve  killer kabobs to add nutrition, color, and flavor to your plate.
        • A grilled tomato with some salt, pepper and drizzle of olive oil is a great side for a steak! Fun fact: When you cook tomatoes, the antioxidant lycopene becomes more easily absorbed by the body.

          7. ¾ plate rule

          • ¾ of your plate should be reserved for vegetables, legumes, and grains, and the remaining quarter for your protein!

          8. Start with a salad

          • Eating salad before your meal can reduce later calorie consumption sometimes upwards of 10% depending on how much salad a person consumes.
          • Try to avoid high fat salad dressings and cheese and make your salad with darker salad greens like romaine lettuce, spinach, watercress, arugula, and chicory

            9. Pick a pita over a roll

            • Pitas only have approximately 70 to 80 calories per ounce, which is significantly less than the traditional roll.
            • Just like with bread, choose whole wheat pitas for greater nutritional gain
            • Try going naked and skip the bun altogether

              10. Have healthier desserts

              • To complete your grilling experience, throw some peaches, pineapples or mangoes onto the grill. These can be a refreshing end to a meal centered around meat.
              • A healthier alternative to sorbets or ices is pureeing your own frozen fruit. It could then be frozen in an ice pop mold or in an ice cube tray.

                Follow these 10 tips and your BBQ will have the nutritional boost that will put your neighbors to shame.

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