Well grilling and BBQ season is upon and with July 4th just 10 days away (I can’t believe it either) it’s time for me to think about some awesome recipes and ideas for enjoying those parties with family and friends without packing on the pounds.
The good thing about grilling is that there is not often a ton of fried food. My first tip is to make sure to start with the protein, it will fill you up and keep you full. There are tons of yummy rubs and spice blends to use which are ofter better for you than marinades. Marinades can be full of sugar, chemicals, fat or all three. And honestly, how amazing is a good grass fed burger with a little spice blend grilled to perfection? I am sort of lenient with my meat. I will often choose beef over chicken or turkey and not feel bad about it even if it has more fat. The protein is awesome for you and as long as you aren’t soaking it in marinade, you are good to go!
Then of course there are the dreaded carbs! Carbs are NOT the enemy but I find whole, less processed carbs make me feel so much better. If I really want a bun on my burger I try to stick to ezekiel bread (usually in the frozen food isle) but my favorite thing is to grill up two slices of sweet potato and put my burgers insside that. Holy yum!
Now onto sides and dessert. This is where I really struggle. I LOVE CARBS! Pasta salad, potato salad, potato chips #givemeallthe carbs. First thing I do is back to my first tip: Eat my protein first and be full. Then I can have small/normal portions of these carbs and dessert. Once those are gone, that is it. If I am still hungry we go back to the protein and veggies that are around.
I think it’s really important to know you are probably NOT going to stick to your ideal eating plan but you can be good with your eating eventhough you can’t be excellent!
So when is your first cookout!?