Summer BBQ: make more good choices!

Summer is 3 months long and you will probably attend many BBQs with friends and family.

I want to help you make a few good choices so you do NOT over indulge.

1.  Do not go hungry. If you go to the  BBQ starving you will head right to the bowl of chips with french onion dip, UGH!

2. Look for the veggies and pile them on.  grilled or raw they are both a great choice.

3 If at all, small portions of the thick potato and pasta salads.

4. Maybe you could bring a pasta salad made from olive oil, wheat pasta and full of veggies.

5. Where’s the beef? If chicken breats are an option, take it.

6. Avoid as much of the white rolls as possible, eat your hot dog plain, look for whole wheat or multi grain rolls.

Here are a few other websites with some helpful info as well:

The Best (and Worst) Summer Barbeque Foods

Eat This:
Chips and Guacamole
175 calories
12 g fat

No, tortilla chips don’t beat out raw vegetables, but guacamole trounces ranch dressing (below). That’s because avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats, so they help fill your belly at the same time that they protect your heart. But make sure your guac is made from real avocados; many national-brand “guacamole dips” are made with less than 2 percent avocado. Your best bet? Make it at home; you can have a huge, crowd-pleasing batch ready in under 5 minutes. Our favorite recipe is right here.

Not That!
Veggies and ranch
200 calories
14 g fat

This ubiquitous summer appetizer is less about the vegetables and more about a sturdy

delivery system to offload the ranch from bowl to mouth. Unfortunately, on a scale of 1 to 10 in terms of solid nutrition, ranch registers a resounding 0. Want to make the ultimate snack? Ditch the ranch and the tortilla chips and dip your veggies in guac instead.

Tips to Survive Summer BBQ Season

“Prioritize” your favorite food—like this.

• If you’re dying for a big cheeseburger, get in line at the grill. Stick with a green salad or grilled vegetables and fruit as sides.
• Not so big on buns? Go for grilled chicken, fish or tofu on top of greens and spend that starch serving on a scoop of the creamy potato salad you truly love.
• Have a piece of lean protein (chicken, fish), grilled vegetables and a healthy side (1/2 cup or so of baked beans or a bean salad) so you can indulge on dessert.

Survive summer BBQ season with these healthy diet tips

Diet tip #4: Watch your alcohol

Cold beers on a hot day go down fairly easily – but that doesn’t make them calorie- or carb-free. If you’re indulging in alcohol, it’s important to watch your carbs. To help reduce your alcohol intake, drink a glass of water in between each serving of alcohol. Also, to balance out the carbs, eat a few bites of protein for every beer or glass of wine you drink.

Have a happy and healthy summer, enjoy time with your friends and family.  Try to make more good choices than not-so-good choices.