Summer Cookout Tips to Stay Slim

Summertime always brings to mind images of picnics, parks, and of course cooking out good food by the pool with family and friends.  Grilling out doesn’t always bring the healthiest choices to the picnic table however.  Before you fire up that grill, try these simple ideas for healthier grilling to keep that poolside figure.

• Build a better burger.  Try salmon, turkey, or lean ground beef on a whole grain thin sandwich round in place of regular buns.  Top with tomatoes, onion, and spinach to pack in some fiber.  Hold the cheese and swap the mayo for mustard or relish instead to save the fat.  

• If you’re a hot dog lover, try turkey dogs or all-beef dogs which contain less saturated fats.

• Use lean meats for kabobs such as chicken, sirloin, or shrimp.  Dress your kabobs up with fruits and veggies such as pineapple, tomato, sweet onion, mushroom, and green pepper.

• Ditch the chips!  For a healthier side dish dip baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, and any other of your favorite fresh fruit veggies into non-fat Greek yogurt to pack in more fiber and protein.  

• Steer clear of charred meats.  Grilling meats, chicken, and fish over charcoal, wood, and gas increases your exposure to carcinogens from the smoke created when fat drips from the meat onto the heat source.  Cut back on your exposure by cooking lean meats, lowering the heat, and cleaning your grill thoroughly when finished cooking.

By Nicole Chase, RD, LD