Happy, Healthy BBQing!

Happy Labor Day! I don’t know about you, but our grill is heating up and ready to party. A fun filled get-togethers with tons of food and friends are a fantastic way to celebrate the end of summer and spend time with family and friends, but they can really do damage to your waist-line.

So what’s a BBQ lover to do? Just follow these simple tricks to keep your heart and waistline healthy this weekend.

1.Choose the right meat. If you have a choice, choose grilled chicken, lean turkey burger or very lean hamburger (93% lean). You will get a great protein pump without the all the calories and fat (especially saturated fat) of the fatty burgers and brats.

2.Don’t fill up on bread. Stay away from rolls and buns. Generally, these are made with refined, white flour anyway, so they can pack in the calories without providing an ounce of nutrition…just say no.

3.Fill up on grilled or fresh veggies. They are low calorie, fiber-filled and nutrient packed.

4.Satisfy your sweet tooth with fruit salad. Again, it’s nutrient packed and much lower in calories than the typical baked goods.

5.Only eat what you really really want to eat. If you LOVE baked beans, have a little bit…not bucketfull…but get a nice little taste (like ¼ cup) and be satisfied. If it’s brats that you drool over, have a half of one for your “meat” and call it a day.

6.If you’re staying away from carbs all together, a BBQ should be easy for you...meat and veggies…make it your mantra!

7.Bring something to the party that you can nosh on without guilt: think veggie tray.

8. Watch what you are sipping…alcohol typically = more food consumption. So choose light beers, wine or hard liquor with calorie free mixers. And do the every-other-drink rule: water, alcohol, water, alcohol, etc.

Check out this tasty, healthy and very full plate!

•Grilled chicken breast

•Grilled asparagus (10 spears)

•Fruit Salad (1/2 cup)

•Baked beans (1/4 cup)

•Coleslaw (1/4 cup)

•Chocolate chip cookies (1 cookie)

For all of that…including a cookie treat…it’s only about 550 calories, 15 grams of fat (5 saturated), 159 mg cholesterol, 509 mg sodium.

So go forth and enjoy your next BBQ!