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As
you prepare to start doing some barbequing this
coming season, it's important that you're keeping a
few factors in mind to ensure that you're making it
as healthy as you can. There are some foods that can
significantly bump your calorie and fat intake up
for the day, leading to unwanted weight gain by the
time the summer season is over.
By doing some careful planning first though it's
more than possible to choose good choices and
maintain a healthy diet that will only promote your
goals, whether they are muscle building or fat loss.
Here are some of the big things to consider this
summer while barbequing.
1.
Watch The BBQ Sauce:
 The
first thing you need to be more aware of is how much
barbeque sauce you're using on the chicken, steak,
fish, or ribs you BBQ. While some barbeque sauces
will definitely enhance the flavor of the meat,
avoid using too much as it's often fairly high in
calories and sugar.
A better idea instead would be to marinate your meat
in soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and your
selection of herbs and spices. Rub that into the
meat and place in the fridge to set for a few hours.
Then, remove from the fridge before cooking and the
meat will have taken on the flavor.
2.
Make Your Own Pasta Or Potato Salad:
Next, you really need to be especially choosy when
picking up pasta or potato salad. Nine times out of
ten the pre-made versions of these foods will
contain high fat source cream, mayonnaise, or other
ingredients that make it incredibly high calories
and fat.
Instead, consider creating your own. This is the
safest bet since then you know exactly what you're
getting in the salad and will have direct control
over the calorie content.
An added idea to make this even more healthy is to
add more thinly chopped vegetables to 'bulk' out the
salad so your not eating as many high carb potatoes
or pasta. Good vegetable choices for this include
celery, cucumber, carrots, peppers, and onions.
3.
Have Fruit-Filled Desserts More Often:
 On
the dessert side of things, with it being warmer
outside, you're likely looking for something cooler
and lighter for dessert. Rather than diving into the
deluxe ice cream that may be offered, consider
making your own dessert with sliced fruit, some high
quality protein pudding made with skim milk and
protein powder
blended in, and then topped with low-fat Cool Whip
topping.
This option will be a great deal more nutritious
than the ice cream or other cakes or pies that are
offered to you and won't set you back nearly the
same amount of calories.
Another option, if you really want something sweet
and are out by the fire, is to roast a marshmallow
or two. While these are basically pure sugar and
won't contribute much nutritionally speaking, they
do only come in at about 25 calories a piece so one
or two won't do any kind of damage to your already
sound diet.
4.
Watch Your Beverages:
Another place where calories can very easily add up
is with your beverage selection. You may already
know all the harmful effects of alcohol on your
muscle-building and fat loss goals as far as
metabolic processes and recovery go, but more than
that, many of those summery drinks people enjoy so
much have hundreds of calories that will lead to
significant weight gain over time.
If you are going to drink, typically the best choice
is opting for a mixed drink with only the alcohol of
preference and diet soda. Avoid drinks that are
created with drink mixes as they typically have a
high amount of sugar, drinks that are made with
creamy liquors as these are high in fat and sugar,
or cooler drinks since again these can contain
250-350 calories per bottle.
There are many light beers now on the market, which
you may want to consider, but still, pay attention
to how many you're having. Your best bet is to
alternate one alcohol drink with one non-alcohol
calorie-free, caffeine-free beverages. Even better
would be to not drink at all, but that's something
many people are simply not willing to give up. The
least you can do then is make the best of it by
choosing wisely.
5.
Consider Making Home-Made Sweet Potato French Fries:
 Rather
than deep frying French fries, consider slicing up
some sweet potatoes, coating them in a bit of olive
oil and spices, and placing them over a the grill as
well to make your own version of home-made fries.
These will be a much healthier alternative and will
actually be a great source of slow digesting
carbohydrates, helping to balance out the protein in
the meal.
Some individuals may also choose to place the sliced
sweet potatoes along with other sliced vegetables
(carrots, onions, peppers, and mushrooms) in some
tin foil with a small amount of salad dressing on
the grill to cook as well. This will give your
potatoes a softer texture rather than the crispy
texture you get from grilling them directly.
6.
Watch Your Portion Sizes:
Finally, if nothing else, make sure you're watching
your portion sizes while eating at your barbecue.
Often the barbeque meal is set up as a buffet type
of style, which becomes quite easy to overeat in.
Have a look at all the different foods before
dishing up your plate and only choose the ones that
you really want to have. Even if there are plenty of
healthy options, you really only need one source of
complex carbohydrates and one source of protein. If
chicken and beef is served, choose one, not both.
This will really help keep the total calorie count
under control.
Conclusion
So, be sure you're keeping these ideas in mind this
barbeque season. You can certainly have a healthy
meal if you monitor your cooking techniques and make
smart decisions.
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