Go Lean With Your Summer BBQ Favorites

Getting ready to kick off your summer with a BBQ? A BBQ is the quintessential way to celebrate the warm weather with friends and family. Before you attend your next summer BBQ, read these tips on how to indulge without sabotaging your diet. Bon’App is here to share strategies on how to make the dishes you love healthy and delicious!

5 Ways to Make Your Next BBQ Healthier:

1. Choose lean protein: Grilled meat is a staple for any BBQ. Choose skinless chicken, fish, or a chicken burger instead of steak, beef burgers, or hot dogs. Enjoy the flavor or grilled food without the extra Calories and Bad Fat.
2. Veg out! Throw some veggies on the grill too. The benefit of loading up on grilled veggies is that you will have less room to overeat the more caloric foods. Some great options are red onions, eggplant, zucchini, asparagus spears, and portabello mushrooms.
3. Beans instead of potato salad. Another great way to load up on fiber is to bring a mixed bean salad instead of the traditional potato salad, which is loaded with mayonnaise.
4. Choose spices for flavor: Adding flavor to grilled meats and veggies is a must. But, don’t think more is better. Using spices instead of sauces is the best way to enhance flavor without adding extra calories.
5. Make dessert fruity! Instead of baking a cake or cookies, make a large fruit salad. Most people prefer something more refreshing in the heat and nothing is better in the summer than mixed berries topped with a dollop of Cool Whip!

---

Eat This Instead of That:

Choose Seltzer Water            Instead of  Flavored Iced Tea

                                    

           0 Calories                               150 Calories
         0 mg Salt                                  10 mg Salt
          0 g Sugar                                  36 g Sugar

Choose Grilled Chicken (3 oz.)              Instead of Grilled Beef (3 oz.)

               

110 Calories                                            246 Calories

340 mg Salt                                            327 mg Salt
1 g Bad Fat                                            6 g Bad Fat


Choose Kale Chips (1 serving)    Instead of   Potato Chips (3 oz.)

                        

       150 Calories                                  246 Calories
      220 mg Salt                                   327 mg Salt
                    1 g Bad Fat                                   6 g Bad Fat              

---

Strategies for Making the Healthiest Food Choices at a BBQ:

1. Fill up before you get there. You will not be able to resist temptation of your favorite foods if you go to a party hungry so be sure to eat a snack beforehand. Some good options are high-fiber cereal with low-fat Greek yogurt or an apple with some almonds.
2. Limit Your Alcohol. If you enjoy a glass of wine, beer, or cocktail when you go to a BBQ, be sure to limit your drink. Alcohol makes you more disinhibited when it comes to eating so the more you drink, the more likely you are to overindulge.
3. Mingle away from the food. Remember that you are at a BBQ to enjoy the company of others so fill your plate up once, and walk away from the food table. You will be less likely to reach for a second helping if you have to get up and walk over to the food table.
4. Veggies first. When you fill your plate with food, put veggies and legumes on your plate first so that there is less room for the more caloric foods.
5. Use Bon’App. Bon'App will help you figure out what's in your food, in a language you can understand!