Tips to Eat Healthy at Summer BBQ’s
Who Doesn’t Love a Good Summer BBQ!?
Summer in Northern Michigan is one of my favorite times of the year so any reason to get outside and enjoy our friends and family is just fine with me. Even though I love a good BBQ, I don’t want to totally go overboard eating too much or consuming foods I don’t normally eat. There are a handful of tips that work really well for me when I enter the summer months and I thought I’d thought it would be a good time to share them. Hope you enjoy.
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Stay Active
My first tip is to stay active, especially through the holidays or the BBQ season. I do love enjoying the occasional cocktail or salty snack so for me staying active and working out daily is the best way to combat it. Plus I love to workout so it is a win-win for me. If you know you are going to a BBQ in the afternoon, make sure you find time to workout before you go, don’t put it off because there is no way you’ll do it after! If you are looking for some great workout or fitness tips, visit my Fitness Page.
Bring a Healthy Dish to Pass
If you are hosting the BBQ, it is obviously easy to ensure healthy options, but if you are not, then you want to be sure to bring one. Bring a veggie tray with hummus or a fantastic summer salad, everyone will love it and you’ll have a great snacking option.
Follow My 3 to 1 Rule
You may be wondering, what is the 3 to 1 rule?! It’s simple, for every 3 things you put on your plate, only 1 of those things can be something that is not apart of your normal eating regimen (AKA unhealthy). This will limit the extra calories you consume.
Portion Control
The biggest issue I see for people is not what they are eating but how much they are eating. Portion control is so important especially if you are eating foods you don’t normally. Go ahead and eat a cookie, but just have one, not 4. Try some of that potato salad, but don’t fill your plate. Make sense!?
It’s All About Choices
When I go to a BBQ or party in general, I like to think about it as a time I can test my decision-making skills, LOL. No, but in all reality, living a healthy lifestyle is all about having priorities and making good choices. I like how I feel when I make healthy choices like working out and eating healthy and that motivates me to continue to make those good choices. For example, I enjoy having a cocktail, so I do and instead, I skip dessert. That is the choice I make to stay on track. When I go to a fast-food restaurant while traveling, I opt for a salad or smoothie instead because I know I don’t like how I feel after having the burger and fries. Take inventory when you first get to the BBQ, see what your choices are and decide, do you want the cookie or the mac n cheese? Don’t choose both.
Finally, enjoy yourself, don’t stress if you do overindulge from time-to-time, just make a better choice next time. One day or week of being off track isn’t going to break your healthy lifestyle. Life is about finding balance and enjoyment in all things. Happy grilling season friends!
