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FOOD FOR THOUGHT – SUMMER BBQ MAKOVER!

Posted By: Sherry Nicely on 07/25/2011

Who doesn’t love a good summer barbeque with family and friends?   There is no better way to get together and have some fun.  Maybe you’ll play some horse shoes or throw the Frisbee around the back yard.  Sure, you may get a little exercise, but one thing always happens at the barbeque….EATING LOTS OF FOOD! 

Did you know that the average plate—yes, just one plate— at a barbeque can be 1500, 2000 even 3000 calories?  With calories like that, you can be sure it will go straight to your waistline!

So let me offer up some slimming barbeque alternatives.  Here are a few of my favorites: 

Let’s start with the star of most barbeques: the burger. If you choose 99% fat free ground turkey over ground beef you’ll cut over 15 grams of fat. If you hold the cheese, you’ll save 70 extra calories and an additional 5 grams of fat. Now put your burger on a nutritious whole wheat bun, which is always a better choice than the typical white bread hamburger buns, and available at any supermarket. If you’re going to have potato chips, try the baked ones. There are so many varieties available now, and most are downright delicious. 

Instead of a sugary, fat-filled cake for dessert (packing an average of 200 calories and 10 grams of fat) how about serving some fresh fruit?  Watermelon is perfect for a summer barbeque.  It only has 45 calories and not even ½ gram of fat.  Not to mention, it’s fun to eat too. And honestly, can a cookout really be called a cookout without watermelon? No way!

Make these simple changes and you and your guests can cut hundreds of calories and a lot of extra fat. Best of all, I bet you'll never even notice.  But what you will notice is that your shorts still button easily the next day and you have zero guilt from a fun-filled afternoon barbeque!