Enjoy a Healthy Barbecue

It's summer and now is the perfect time to fire up the barbecue, invite some friends and family round and have a catch up.

Cooking outside is a great experience when it's hot rather than being stuck in a stuffy kitchen.

Barbeques don't have to be unhealthy if you choose healthier options, so you can enjoy great healthy food and your waistline will thank you for it.

Here are my top 5 tips in keeping your barbecue healthy and guilt free:-

1.) Choose healthier protein:- Buy better quality burgers and sausages, which have a higher percentage of meat in them rather than the cheaper variety which is often bulked out with inferior ingredients such as breadcrumbs and rusk and will contain more saturated fats.  If possible treat yourself to some steak this is pure meat with nothing added to it and is a great source of iron and protein. 

2.) Eat more white meat:- chicken and fish are an excellent source of protein and contains less saturated fat than red meat, such as beef, pork and lamb.  However ensure that these are cooked all the way through to make sure all the bacteria has been killed and avoid any food poisoning.

3.) Have loads of salad:- Pile up your plate with fresh salad.  Vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function properly. It also contains fibre and water which not only is low calories (fibre is a carbohydrate so does have some calories-water has none) but will help fill you up!  Doing this will help to stop you over eating on the meats.  However be careful not to over indulge with dressings, salad cream, coleslaw and potato salad which is high in saturated fats and are loaded with calories.

4.) Have a snack before going:- Have a snack or light meal before going, so you won't arrive starving hungry and run the risk of wolfing down the food and overeating.

5.) Be more active:- If you know you're going out and maybe consuming more calories than you normally would, than try having a work out beforehand, to burn a few extra calories.  Remember more calories in than out will cause weight gain and more calories expended than consumed will result in weight loss!

So as you can see you can have a healthy barbecue by just making a few adjustments here and there.  Enjoy some outdoor activities while you can and I'll see you next week.