With winter slowly coming to an end, patio season is just around the corner, which means cold brews and lip smacking BBQ! Although we love this time of year, sometimes our diets limit us in terms of how much of this season we can truly enjoy. The good news is, if you are already using the Model My Diet App for tracking your weight loss progress, you are probably already following a healthy diet. Study after study has shown that you don’t need to starve, count calories excessively, or forego your favourite foods to lose excess pounds. Barbecues are a quintessentially American pastime; one that gathers friends and family, who enjoy the smoky flavour and aroma of this low-fat way of cooking.
If you wondered whether or not you could still enjoy summer barbecues while on a weight loss program, the answer, is yes –– the secret simply lies in the ingredients!
Barbecues: The Preferred Diet For Millennials
Some diets which are proving equally popular among doctors, scientists, and fitness enthusiasts, are the Mediterranean and Paleo diets. The Ketogenic (or Atkins-type) diet is also favoured by many, owing to its emphasis on a low-carbohydrate, low-sugar way of living. These diets work perfectly well with barbecues, because you can make a selection from a wide range of lean protein sources, fruits and vegetables, all of which taste wonderful when cooked on the grill!
It is common for doctors to recommend both the Mediterranean and Paleo diets because of their emphasis on lean quality protein sources, seasonal fruits and vegetables, and healthy Omega-3 fats. Unlike diets which prescribe specific meal plans, weighing of food etc., the main work involved in preparing for these diets, is the shopping and preparation time they involve. It is easy to get around this by carefully writing down everything you will need for at least a week, and filling your fridge with healthy foods so that you don’t feel tempted to binge on fast food or processed alternatives when you come home from a tiring day.
By chopping up lettuce, vegetables, and other ingredients and storing them in different airtight containers, you can whip up your favourite salad or barbecue side quickly, without having to clean and chop ingredients every day.
Tips for Healthy & Tasty Barbecues
Keen barbecuers know that the secret to success, lies in the marinade. All American states have their own grilling styles and marinades, and you can remain true to your traditions –– as well as try out new recipes, by making a few simple changes.
Take wet Memphis ribs for instance, often made with a sweet tomato-and-vinegar sauce. It is easy to adapt this recipe, using stevia or xylitol instead of sugar, keeping it on the savory side, avoiding unnecessary added sugars. You can also try new recipes for sauces. The Alabama sandwich sauce, a white sauce containing homemade mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, horseradish and cayenne, can work perfectly well in an Atkins-style diet.
Barbecued dishes, whether meat or veggies work fantastically for Paleo, Keto and Mediterranean diets; essentially, the primary consideration should be taking extra care with the ingredients you use for sauces and marinade. Replace sugar with low carb, natural (not artificial) sweeteners and use them sparingly; serve healthy sides such as salads and barbecued veggies, foregoing rich sauces in favour of simple yet healthy alternatives made with ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, lemon and garlic. The best thing about enjoying a barbecue while on a diet, is that nobody will even notice that anything has changed –– because every bite will taste as lip smackingly delicious at it always has.
Article written & submitted by: Jennier Dawson
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