Posted by Stephanie Clarke on Mon, Jul 12, 2010
Fourth of July has come and gone, but there's still plenty of summer left, and that means lots of barbecues! While these get-togethers can be fun from a social standpoint, they can be downright frightening from a dieting perspective. After all, there's usually an endless array of alcoholic drinks, desserts, burgers, hot dogs, white buns, and mayonnaise-laden salads—not exactly diet-friendly fare. But there's no need to stay home and miss all the fun—you can use the strategies below to enjoy without going overboard.
BYOHF. That stands for bring your own healthy food, of course. It's guaranteed that other guests will bring the traditional BBQ dishes, like potato salad, macaroni salad, desserts, etc., so why not do something different? Make it a point to bring something that you know you will feel good about eating. Over the Fourth weekend, I chose to bring a roasted pepper, chickpea, and bulgur salad to a barbecue. I figured that while not everyone would eat it, at least some people might try it. To my surprise, after a couple hours, the salad was completely gone—and a couple people even asked me for the recipe. I felt good about introducing a new whole grain to people who'd never tried it, and also had a healthy side dish to eat myself!
Don't sweat the small stuff. If you happen to get into a situation where there's no healthy option to be found, simply choose something that you will enjoy and have a small amount. For example, if there are only burgers and hot dogs, make your burger open-faced and pile it high with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, etc. Don't let this one event trigger all-or-nothing thinking (for instance, "I just ate a hamburger and blew my diet, so I might as well also have some chips and dip, a scoop of potato salad, and a brownie"). I don't typically eat beef burgers, but they smelled so delicious on the grill at the barbecue I just went to that I knew I wanted a burger more than any of the other options. So I opted to have half of a burger on half of a bun and piled it high with veggies. I really enjoyed my choice and didn't feel bad about eating it afterward either! Remember, indulging in one high-calorie food is not likely to do a lot of harm.
Sip wisely. The calories in beer—even light beer—add up fast, at about 80 to 200 calories per 12 ounces, depending on the type of beer. If you'd rather save up those calories to put towards dinner or dessert, that's fine. If you do decide to drink, be sure to limit yourself to just one or two, and have healthy non-alcoholic alternatives on hand for when you're done. When the heat is cranked up and you're surrounded by your friends or family all having fun, it can be too easy to drink more than you should. If you have other iced cold (but low-calorie) alternatives readily available, it's a little easier to cut yourself off. Making the switch to these healthier drinks not only helps you avoid consuming too much alcohol (and calories), but it will also keep you hydrated. Herbal iced tea, ice water with lemon and lime, and club soda with a splash of pomegranate juice and squeeze of lime are all refreshing and delicious options.
Stick to your regular eating schedule. Grazing can be one of the major challenges of eating well at a barbecue. Food is always out and available, so it's easy to pick on things even when you're not hungry, and that can lead to eating way too many calories without even realizing it. Eating only when you would normally eat a meal or snack can help you keep track of the amount of food you're eating, and also help you feel more satisfied. For example, if the barbecue starts at 2, you should have already had breakfast and a snack before you arrive. You can plan to eat a later lunch when you get to the barbecue, then stop eating after you've had your meal. If you're staying for a while, you can have another snack a few hours or so after your first meal to tide you over until dinner, or you can just have dinner if it gets to that time.
Posted by Janis Jibrin on Fri, Jun 12, 2009
It's officially barbecue season, and the familiar smoky smell of neighbors' dinners has been wafting into my window—a reminder of the joys and perils of grilling your food. While grilling is an incredibly lean way to cook, it does have a dark side. Cooking food over a high, open flame can produce carcinogens, or cancer-causing substances. Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are caused by a chemical reaction that occurs when muscle meat is combined with intense heat. (They're not just found in barbecued meats. Pan-frying, electric grilling or broiling can also produce HCAs.) And polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are found inbarbecue smoke. So, anything that makes the grill smokier—like fat thatdrips from the food and hits the coals or flame—produces even more PAHs. Then, the chemical-laden smoke gets absorbed by your food. Unfortunately, these are equal-opportunity chemicals, affecting meats,veggies and bread.
Before you hang up your spatula, there are a few ways you can safeguard yourself and still have your grilled chicken, burgers and other summer favorites. Use these tips to minimize your risks:
• Marinate. Using a marinade made from grainy mustard, vinegar, lemon, lime, olive oil, garlic, salt and brown sugar, scientists from Lawrence Livermore Labs in Livermore, California, got rid of 95 percent of HCAs in poultry. They're still not sure how it works; it may have to do with the marinade cooling down the meat. Any oil-and-vinegar marinade should be protective.
• Flip regularly. Another study from Livermore Labs found that turning burgers every minute reduced HCA formation by up to 99 percent compared to burgers that were flipped every five minutes.
• Microwave. Zapping meat to a half-cooked state before grilling removes some of the substances that react to heat and greatly reduces the chances of creating HCAs.
• Cook on the cooler part of the grill. Move food to the edge of the grill or to a spot where food won't drip directly on the heat source. If your propane or gas grill has a "dual burner," turn one burner off and cook on the other side.
• Buy lower fat meats, chicken and fish. Reduce the amount of fat that drips onto the grill, and you'll reduce the amount of PAH that's created. You can also opt for plant-basedfoods, such as vegetables or tofu, which are lower in fat than meats.
• Regulate temperature. The heat should be high enough to cook food thoroughly, but low enough to prevent charring.
• Douse. Use a squirt bottle to douse flames that get too high.
• Avoid mesquite. Burning this wood generates lots of PAHs. Instead, use oak or hickory.
• Steam vegetables in advance. That way, they spend less time on the grill and have less of a chance to absorb smoke.
For more healthy-eating advice, check out TheBestLife.com.
Posted by Donna Fennessy on Sun, May 24, 2009
Celebrating Memorial Day with a barbecue or day at the beach? Use these Best Life tips to stay on track:
Slim down BBQ standards.
Making a few healthy swaps can save you hundreds of calories. For example, if you throw a four-ounce burger made with 90-percent lean ground beef on the grill instead of a regular burger, you'll cut 50 calories. Opt for a squirt of lime instead of three pats of butter on your corn on the cob to trim 150 calories.
Use your grill for good.
For a lighter side or dessert, choose a grilled veggie or fruit dish. Try sweet peppers, onions, fennel, peaches, apples and more. Grilled fruit and veggies are often more flavorful than fresh or boiled versions.
Get active outdoors.
Instead of sitting and chatting with friends or family, get moving. Toss a Frisbee with family for an hour to burn 155 calories. Or round up some friends for a game of touch football; play for an hour and torch as many 670 calories.
For more great weight-loss tips, check out TheBestLife.com.