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Healthy Cookout
Foods
Everybody loves a summer cookout. Even in the heat, it’s a
great way to enjoy a relaxed afternoon with family, friends and some
tasty food.
Depending on what you serve, though, that food can be an obstacle to
a healthy diet for you and your kids. Many staples of a cookout menu
can be high in fat and calories and low in nutrients.
But don’t fret. With a few substitutions and a little creativity,
there are plenty of ways to make these meals healthy without taking
away the flavor or the fun for parents and kids alike.
Begin with the appetizers. Instead of
pouring a bag of greasy potato chips into a bowl, serve a vegetable
platter with some low-fat dip. Carrots, broccoli, celery, cherry
tomatoes and cauliflower all provide important nutrients to help
young bodies grow up healthy. You can pick up a pre-made veggie
platter at practically any grocery store, so this simple change
doesn’t make playing host any harder.
Next come the main dishes. Popular barbecue foods like hamburgers
and hot dogs often aren’t the most nutritious options available.
Instead of hamburgers, try turkey burgers. They’re good sources of
protein and are lower in fat than regular burgers. When it comes to
hot dogs, go with the low-fat varieties, which can be made of
anything from beef to turkey.
For buns, get the whole grain versions. They’re high in fiber, which
aids in digestion, and will help you and your kids feel more
satiated.
They also provide many important nutrients, including B vitamins,
which help the body use energy from proteins, fat and carbs, and
minerals such as iron, magnesium and selenium, which do everything
from help build strong bones to support a healthy immune system.
The side dishes you serve at a barbecue can also play a big part in
how healthy the meal turns out. Sides with lots of mayonnaise, like
potato salad and macaroni salad, are high in fat and can easily be
swapped out for something healthier. Try baked beans, which are high
in protein and low in fat.
Fresh fruit can also serve as another great side dish for cookouts.
While the grown-ups would be happy with a simple fruit salad, you
may have to make it a little more interesting for the kids. If
that’s the case, try fruit-kabobs. Strawberries, grapes, melon and
banana slices on a skewer can make eating fruit fun for the little
ones.
Ideally, the fruit could do double duty as dessert. But if your kids
(or you) have to have a cold treat at the end of your summer
cookout, try frozen yogurt. Most have less fat and sugar and fewer
calories than ice cream, though you’ll want to check the nutritional
content of what you’re buying to make sure. You can top the yogurt
with some fresh berries to keep it fun. Be sure to watch portion
sizes, though. Larger portions just defeat the purpose of serving
healthier foods.
Take these few easy steps and everyone at your cookout – kids and
adults – can have a good time and a good meal that fits in with a
healthy diet.
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