Guys, TIS THE SEASON, amirite? I feel like we're inundated with grill-out options, potluck invitations, and let's not forget that THE FOURTH is coming up! If you aren't American, that means that we get a day off work to daydrink and cookout and hang out near bodies of water.
Just like our founding fathers would have liked it.
ANYWAY ANYWAY. Ignore me.
Tomorrow night I'm doing a cooking class for my getting-healthy clients (I work at an obesity clinic), and we're doing cookout food! Cookouts can be SUPER hard for our families to navigate, so I'm trying to give them some tools to use that will make them feel confident when cooking or attending cookouts in the coming weeks.
Here are some ideas for you, too!
Protein:
Homemade Barbecue sauce like this one or this one is always nice because you aren't adding a ton of salt or sugar, and you can brush it on ANYTHING. Turkey burgers are nice too, and you can even skip the bun if you're watching carbs. It's not really a protein, but portobello burgers are one of my fav foods EVER, and they hardly have any calories. No matter what protein you use, keep Worcestershire sauce nearby. It's got an excellent flavor but no fat. They even make a low sodium version for salt-observers!
Veggies and Salads:
This vegan potato salad is what I'm teaching tomorrow night, but ANY light veggie dish like this arugula herb salad or FOR THE FOURTH this red white and blue salad with beets add great nutrition to a maybe not-so-healthy barbecue situation.
Pasta and Starches:
This cheeseburger quinoa has a super special place in my heart, but I also really love this Thai peanut salad for the extra veggies and this cantaloupe couscous - fruit! So it's basically a health food!
Of course, the main thing to remember when we're trying to do the healthy thing ANYWHERE is that portions are a thing, and even healthy foods can be do our detriment if we eat 9 cups of them. So, sorry. BUT, don't freak out if you eat something that's a TEEEEEENY bit unhealthy - it's the summer, it's going to be fine, and Jesus doesn't hate you if you weight 20 more pounds than you think you should.
Promise.
Happy grilling!
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