With Fourth of July literally right around the corner, we are officially in the dog days of summer. Temps here are in the upper 90s, sweat appears if I even look at the back yard, & bikini season is in full swing. So naturally, it would make sense that I would be thriving in our typically healthy dietary plan. However, June for us is birthday month and family functions tend to be a hurtle when it comes to staying on track with our regularly scheduled food programming. Our cookouts are geared to be crowd-pleasing (and budget-friendly) with hamburgers and hotdogs, dips, dessert, beer, etc. I firmly believe that there’s nothing wrong with these offerings in moderation. However, when the moderation becomes less….moderate, damage to my eating beliefs and waistline occurs. If you find yourself in the same backyard slathered BBQ boat, read on for 3 ways you can make your summer cookout a bit healthier.
- Upgrade Your Condiments. Due to my frugal nature, I will never advise you to serve a healthy grilled surf and turf to your family of 20. Unless you’d like to, in which case, please send me the invite! When feeding a group, stick to the basic meats that kids and adults both enjoy and won’t blow your whole paycheck. Save the salmon for your own household on Monday. One easy thing you can do, is check that your garnishes and condiments are of good variety and don’t have odd ingredients. Ketchup is notorious for dumping copious amounts of sugar into the bottle. Here is a brand that I’ve been using that Lyla (6) has no issue with, is organic (tomatoes are on the dirty dozen list), and has zero added sugar. They also make a mayo that I haven’t tried so can’t vouch for it quite yet. But I love that it uses avocado oil instead of soybean oil! BBQ sauce is another one that can have a lot of sugar and a ton of rando ingredients. I enjoy making my own, or Primal Kitchen saves the day again with a great pre-made option. Also make sure you have plenty of veggie garnishes: onion, lettuce, tomato, pickle, mushrooms, etc. to add some plant points. Lastly, consider ditching the American cheese and use a yummy Swiss or cheddar instead.
- Always Have a Salad. Even if you grab a bunless burger loaded with healthy toppings, the buffet of mayo-laden sides at a cookout can easily undo your good intentions. Now, I love a good potato or pasta salad as much as the next southern hostess, but my rule of thumb is to always have a green lettuce salad at the ready. This at least offers a healthy side or base for those wanting to not undo their dietary goals. Romaine, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, carrots, and red onion is what I typically have tossed together. Then I set out a ranch dressing option and an Italian dressing option. You can get my homemade recipes for these dressings in this post. Salad also takes up a lot of space on a plate, making portions of the heavier sides less damaging.
- Offer Healthy Kid Snacks. Ok, so here is one thing I know for certain about children under the age of 10…..if you put out any type of snack food at eye level or lower, they cannot help but grab it. The number one appetizer that I have to refill before the meal has begun is a homemade fruit platter. Every time. And I have zero issue with this. If my kids want to gorge themselves on strawberries before eating a hot dog, I am A-OK with it. Pre-made grocery platters are very easy to come by, but I prefer to save the money and make them myself. Strawberries, cantaloupe, pineapple, watermelon, and grapes tend to be universally enjoyed. I also try to have out a homemade veggie platter with baby carrots, cucumber, strips of colorful peppers, and homemade ranch. Lastly, I typically have a third platter with pretzels (much cheaper at Kroger!!), cheddar crackers, and one additional crunchy cracker. Pair this with hummus, spinach dip, or goat cheese with pepper jelly. Kids will often surprise you and eat what’s readily available.
Gatherings are good for us and meant to be a time to laugh and let loose a bit. Don’t beat yourself up for going back for a second helping of that Oreo trifle. Just enjoy your indulgence and then steer back onto the track. The goal is to love and feel good in this amazing body of ours. One small sugarless ketchup win at a time.
How do you make your summer cookout healthier??
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