Grilling season is upon us here in Wisconsin and you need to be ready to dominate without blowing up your waistline.
And no, you don’t need to be bland and boring either. You should know by now that I’m not that guy, I want you to enjoy your food to the fullest, but also not lose track of your goals.
Hell, grilling is already healthier than our other favorite method of cooking – deep frying. However, just because something is grilled – doesn’t make it your best option. Nor does it usually consist of the entire meal.
Time to cover the 5 ways that you can master the grilling season, and still rock your bikini/mankini this summer.
1 – Veggies Always
This is a no brainer for any meal, but if you focus on filling half your plate with veggies, you will be filling half your gut with very lower calorie nutrient goodness. You can’t go wrong there.
My favorite grilling veggies? Zucchini and Asparagus.
Give them a drizzle in olive oil, throw some pink salt and garlic powder on them, and grill to perfection.
2 – Lean Meats
I love brats. However, the high amount of saturated fat found in a brat doesn’t love us back. Look for leaner sources of protein to grill when it comes to getting the most bang for your buck this grilling season.
How do you know what good lean options are?
A great rule of thumb is if the grams of protein is at least 2x the grams of fat, it is a decent protein source. IF the grams of protein is closer to 3x or 4x, then you have a real winner.
Here is a brat compared to some good alternatives:
Do you see how the brat has 7 MORE grams of fat than protein? This would be considered a VERY fatty protein source, and frankly a pretty crappy one at that.
3) Watch the Carb Overload
If you have been reading my other posts, you should know that I love carbs.
However, there is no need to go overboard on them, especially if this a low activity weekend we are talking about.
If you are eating something with a bun, don’t forget that these count as carbs, so maybe your side dishes should be lower carb options.
Or if you want the higher carb sides – potatoes, corn, mac n cheese… then maybe skip the bun. It’s your choice, but make it quick before you have an “ah screw it” moment.
HIgh carb side dishes also can pack a lot of extra calories from fat – so be aware of that as well!
4) Go To Town With Seasonings
You don’t need your food to be boring and bland to be healthy. Seasonings are a fantastic way to add tons of flavor with minimal extra calories.
Staples to always have on hand are:
- Garlic powder
- Pink salt
- Black Pepper
- Lemon juice
- Any BBQ dry rub
- Rosemary
- Thyme
Need ideas for pairing these up? I got you covered from SpicesInc.com
(Click the photo to make it bigger)
5) Don’t Forget the Real Reason You Are Grilling
Here is one that can apply to any social situation.
Keep the focus on the occasion itself, and not the idea of blindly stuffing your face with food and drinks. You can celebrate a beautiful day without pigging out, or drinking 12 crispy boys with your bros. Yes, this is actually possible.
Are you grilling to celebrate a great baseball game? Awesome! Enjoy the game. Nothing anywhere says that you will enjoy it more if you eat 4 brats and pound 12 beers…you CAN enjoy things without this!
Many times we gravitate towards eating mindlessly or drinking in social situations that we might not feel 100% comfortable. Rather than stuffing your face or drinking the liquid courage, why not practice being social? Stuffing your face won’t help you improve your social skills, and drinking might end up making a fool out of you and making you REALLY socially awkward.
Stick to these 5 tips this grilling season (and year round) and you will be feeling better, and enjoying more warm days with fewer clothes on 🙂
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