There isn’t a single being that doesn’t enjoy a barbecue. There is no appropriate time or season for enjoying a barbecue. It is fun to be outdoors with friends and grill with them. Similarly, the warmth from the fire in winters is soothing.
One of the most ancient cooking food techniques, modern-day barbecue, is far different from what it originally was. People now use different types of grills and grilling methods. The technology has just taken over cooking methods too. You can now read more to find several different grills for the perfect barbecue.
Barbecue is also one of those methods that you can use even on diets. Yes, you read it right! You can enjoy a fun-filled barbecue night with your friends and family without being scared of gaining weight. Here are some tricks and tips to help you enjoy a wonderful and health barbecue.
Tips for Enjoying a Healthy Barbecue
Choosing a Healthy Protein
We all love red meat barbecue, but if you want to be careful and healthy, there are other great options available too. People often host or go to a lot of barbecues during holidays or summer, so if you are one of those people, make sure you stay healthy.
Even though barbecue is a relatively healthier cooking method, choosing the right protein contributes to the cause.
Ditch red meat for healthier proteins with unsaturated fats like fish, turkey, chicken breast (skinless), and ground poultry with no fat. If you still miss red meat, add a round or loin cuts of pork or beef.
You can make delicious turkey burgers with onion and mushroom or bell peppers. You can also grill salmon or fish fillet in foils. Try these if you haven’t yet, you will love it.
Keep your Proportions in Check
When you are trying to stay healthy, make sure you don’t cross 6 ounces of meat line. The best quantity is still 3 ounces, but you cannot go over 6 ounces. In a barbecue, when you are enjoying yourself, we know you might feel hungrier around other people. So when you notice you are still hungry after you are done with your proportion of meat, change to veggies.
There is no barbecue without veggies, so don’t forget to eat your vegetables. In this way, you will feel full and wouldn’t want to eat more. Besides, after barbecuing veggies, they become extra sweet and juicy.
Don’t Forget to Marinade
Marinating your meat will help you in using less salt. The taste profile of meat also enhances after you soak it in half a cup of marinade. If you are not a great fan of that, you can rub some spices on your meat cuts.
Everyone has their favorite spices, so make a personalized spice rub for your meat. Overeating sodium will increase your blood pressure, which leads to other diseases. So eliminate sodium from your diet or reduce its amount to as much as possible.
Be Generous with Your Veggies
Barbecuing vegetables make them extra sweet and juicy. We know how much you love meat, but adding colorful veggies to your barbecue may attract your pallet. We eat food with all our senses, and so adding colorful vegetables will please your eyes, and you will want to eat it.
Cut your veggies into pieces so that they cook well from all sides. Add your favorite spices to them as well. If you keep meat and veggies consumption in the balance every time you barbecue, you are good.
Best vegetables for barbecue includes zucchini, asparagus, potatoes, bell peppers, mushroom, corn, avocado, eggplant, onion, and squash.
Use Good Fats Only
When you marinate the meat with oil, make sure you use a healthy oil like olive oil. Another important thing is to use skinless chicken, use meat with fewer fats, or no fats.
These fat are not right for you and will contribute to ruining your healthy diet.
Your Sides Must be Healthy
People usually go for coleslaw, baked beans, or store brought salads. The problem with these is we don’t know what is in it. We can control what goes in on our sides, and make a healthy decision.
So the next time you barbecue, don’t forget to make your version of a healthy salad of beans, and fruits.
Use Fewer Sauces and Condiments
We know how delicious and mouth-watering barbecue sauces and condiments are. But trust us, your stomach and body don’t like it as much as your mouth.
Don’t be too generous with the sauces or condiments, as they will add up to extra calories and sodium intake. Use a little of them. Have you ever tried squeezing lemon on your barbecue? Try squeezing only lemon, and you will love it.
What Buns do You Use?
After taking care of almost everything, make sure you are not lagging on the buns section. Using whole-grain buns is a much healthier and yummier option.
The whole-grain bread has a nutty and grainy texture & taste, which adds to the flavors of the barbecued meat. It complements the meat and veggies well, and if you haven’t tried yet, you should.
If you want entirely to cut off carbs from your diet, lettuce wraps are the thing for you. Lettuce wraps taste amazing with barbecue meat, and the flavors are so refreshing, you won’t be able to stop.
What Will You Like for Dessert?
Usually, when people barbecue, they don’t focus much on desserts and buy it from some store. However, we encourage you to have a complete barbecue experience. Grill your fruits along with everything else. Barbecuing fruits for desserts is a unique and refreshing idea. Your friends will love it and enjoy it.
Barbecuing fruits bring out the natural sweetness of the fruits, and the caramelization adds to the flavor profile. The next time you barbecue, try barbecuing fruits like pears, apples, peaches, pineapples, nectarines, figs, bananas, and plums. Don’t forget to slice your apples and bananas.
Conclusion
Barbecuing with friends and family is a fun experience. Everyone loves it. Make healthier choices to stay healthy and happy. When you have the option of doing it the right way without compromising on fun and flavor, why not do it?