Holiday’s can often pose a challenge for those who are trying to eat clean and healthy. We tend to overeat, over drink, and snack on fatty foods before even getting to the meal. By following these 4 easy tips, you can grill healthy and be happy.
Tips from Huffington Post Healthy living
Choose A Lean, Unprocessed Protein.
It’s easy to get carried away with tradition, but your average barbecue cheeseburger is loaded with saturated fat and calories. And a single hot dog has nearly 300 calories and 17 grams of fat — and that’s without all the fixings.
What’s more, processed meats like hot dogs and sausages contain preservatives called nitrates that have been linked to colorectal cancer in studies. And cardiovascular research shows that a diet heavy in these meats, which tend to have a high sodium load, are also associated with high blood pressure and heart attack risk.
The fix: Try alternative proteins like lean turkey burgers, veggie burgers, fatty fishes like salmon or tuna, or grill-friendly extra firm tofu.
Stock Up On Fresh Veggies.
It’s easy to mindlessly pop finger foods and grilled items into your mouth throughout the course of a cookout, so counteract the calorie devastation by preparing high volume, low density foods. Grills are especially great for bell peppers, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, onions, bok choy, radicchio and more.
The fix: One easy way to incorporate more veggies into your BBQ repertoire is to switch from burger-based cooking to kebabs, which naturally allow for a heavy veg load.
Don’t Show Up Hungry.
If you’re headed to someone else’s house and you can’t set the menu, it’s often harder to keep your health priorities. In this scenario, the best plan of attack may be to eat before you head to the party.
The fix: Eat a combination of protein and carbohydrates to stay satiated — for example, a handful of nuts and dried fruit. Once you get to the party, it will help you exercise control and eat a small amount.
Keep Count Of The Alcohol.
Cookouts are often characterized not just by their abundance of food, but their abundance of beer and cocktails. In the summer sun, a refreshing fizzy beer can seem like a logical hydration choice, but it’s easy to overindulge in terms of calories.
The fix: Alternate each alcoholic beverage with a glass of sparkling or still water. Doing so will keep you stay truly hydrated, help prevent drunkenness and keep the liquid calories down.
5 Healthy BBQ Tips For Your Best Holiday Grilling Yet
The Huffington Post
By Alena Hall
