We are a couple of days away from spring, and for many of us, it means throwing a barbecue cookout. Offering a delicious, tasty barbecue is important. However, we should also include making it healthy. This is why we decided to sum the thousands of tips for a healthy barbecue that are available online. Here we share three key aspects we need to keep in mind if we want to offer a healthy barbecue.
We all know how being careful of the portions that we take and the alcohol we drink are useful suggestions. Other pieces of advice we should keep in mind are including veggies in our dishes, choosing healthier meats to cook, and even adding fish to our grilling options. This way we can make sure we offer a healthy barbecue cookout without leaving flavor behind.
Don’t Leave the Veggies Out
Whenever we hear the word barbecue, we immediately think of greasy, juicy, tasty meat. Just the thought of it might make our mouths water a little bit, even. However, it is a good idea to take the focus off of grilling meat and going for skewered veggies instead. You can always try grilling mushrooms, carrots, peppers, squash, and whatever you feel like having. Remember to brush them with oil first so they don’t dry out.
One great recipe from Nerd Fitness includes cutting a bell pepper in half and filling it up with a salad made from celery, onions, tomato, pickles, bacon, and mixed with primal mayo. The pepper becomes an edible bowl you can eat once you’re done with the salad.
Choose Healthier Meats
Thinking about the type of meat you are grilling is essential if we want to offer a healthy barbecue. Staying away from processed meats like bratwurst, hot dogs, and sausages is important. These meats are full of added salt, fat, calories, and more importantly, they have high levels of nitrates. Instead, we recommend looking for ground or minced meat to keep it as healthy as possible.
Another aspect to think about is consuming grass-fed meat. They say healthy animals make healthy meat. This is why you should consider buying meat of animals that have been raised in their natural environment instead of specialized farms. This way you won’t be consuming any of the artificial hormones and antibiotics industrial animals get.
Add Fish to the Mix
Another great alternative when looking for healthier meat options is fish. Buying different kinds of seafood like shrimp, salmon, soft-shell crabs, and even tuna are great when grilled on a skewer. They are tasty, low-calorie, less-processed meats you can bring into the equation. You can also cook it on tin foil to get a baked result.
Just like it’s the case with ground meat, you want to look for sustainable fish options. We recommend looking for fish that come from organic farms or directly from the wild. This is the best way to ensure we’re getting almost no mercury or other chemicals that could be found on fish.
What other healthy barbecue tips will you include in your Labor Day Cookout? Let us know in the comments down below!
