Healthy BBQ alternatives – even diet friendly!

Barbecue season is finally here! The world is overflowing with recipes for healthy and diet friendly BBQ alternatives suitable for those of us looking to lose some weight as well. 

You don’t have to skip barbecuing even if you’re trying to lose the extra pounds. Many of us associate BBQ with hot dogs or burgers but that is certainly not the only thing to put on your grill. The universe offers tons of healthy BBQ alternatives, you just have to find them! These bullet points are clever to keep in mind when hunting diet friendly barbecue food:

• Use lean meat such as turkey or chicken
• Choose low-fat meat
• Go with pure meat instead of processed
• Healthy side dishes are weight-loss friendly

Tasty side dishes of the healthier kind

Many of us fall into the temptation of choosing easy sides like potato salad and other premade alternatives. For those of us looking to lose some weight through BBQ season it will be clever to look for some alternatives with less calories. Grilled vegetables are fantastic as a side dish and doesn’t require much work. And the best of it all? They can be premade as well. Cut them and put them aside in advance, and they will be ready to use as soon as the grill is hot enough.

Skewers

Skewers are perfect candidates to healthy BBQ recipes and are well-suited for diets too. Cut larger pieces of vegetables like squash and peppers and skew them onto your stick together with lean mean such as chicken or pork. Champignon and onion can also be barbecued on sticks and adds delicious taste to a tasteful BBQ meal.

Treasure chest BBQ style

Tasty, juicy vegetables packed in a treasure chest of aluminum foil is absolutely perfect for barbecuing! Cut carrot, broccoli, cauliflower and squash in pieces. Put some oil over it and spice it up with some salt and pepper. Pack it into aluminum foil and you have the perfect healthy BBQ alternative.

Grilled fish

Having fish on the barbecue is truly underestimated. Fish is both nutritious and tasty and is suitable also for grilling. Remember to put some oil if barbecuing it directly on the grill. It is also a good alternative to use aluminum foil and enjoy the delicious smell of healthy BBQ food when opening the foil after a few minutes on the grill.

Simple salad

A simple, good salad is well-suited as side dish for both meat and fish. Cut green salad and add pepper, tomato, cucumber, corn, perhaps some spring onions? Mix whatever your taste buds desire – a salad simply cannot go wrong.

Making healthy BBQ food can be super easy

If you combine some of the alternatives above, you’ve already made a balanced meal filled with nutrition. Skewers and home-made tzatziki may be a good combo. Grilled fish with vegetables is truly a classic, and the perfect alternative even when you’re on a diet. Having a fresh salad on the side makes for a culinary trip totally free from feelings of guilt.

Avoid too big portions of rice and pasta

If you’re making rice or pasta on the side, another tips is to reduce the amount if you’re looking to lose weight. Healthy BBQ alternatives aren’t synonymous to super low-calorie dishes, but it is clever to keep the total calorie amount in mind. Chose leaner alternatives, or make sure to have vegetables and salad as the main part of your portion.

• See also: Dinner low in calories!