Maintain Your Weight Loss During BBQ Season

Weight Loss during BBQ Season

Everyone loves a good BBQ, but usually that means lots of food, calories, fat, and that horrible regret the next day (or sometimes right after!).  Remember that it IS possible to keep your weight loss on track during BBQ season – and here are a few tips:

• Never char meat or eat any black markings caused by the BBQ as they may be cancer causing.
• Choose leaner meat options to have such as fish, chicken (skin removed), veggie burgers or bean burgers, or even better – choose to have all salads, sometimes those are my favourite!
• If you need that burger, make it yourself so you know what is in it, and opt for no bun – fewer calories!  Even better, try making your burger from ground chicken or turkey instead.
• Experiment with new vegetable salad recipes with low fat dressing.
• Use local vegetables when in season
• Instead of sitting down to a plate of high-calorie ribs as your first course, load up on salad and veggies before you hit the grilled meats. You’ll not only get a healthy, low-calorie dose of antioxidants, you’ll be less likely to overeat the higher calorie foods. Make eating your veggies convenient and grill them in aluminum foil alongside the other grilled goodies.
• To create a lower fat side dish try making pasta or rice salad instead of potato salad
• If you enjoy drinking alcoholic beverages to fight off summer heat, try to limit your consumption.  All alcohol breaks down into sugar within the body.  Your lowest caloric options are wine, light beer, diet cooler or a shot of hard liquor mixed with soda water and fresh lime.
• Enjoy the long days and cool night, summer never lasts long enough!

Summertime Cool Mint Strawberry Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup White/Golden Quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 1 handful of mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

1. Cook the Quinoa.  Place Quinoa and slightly salted water in a skillet and heat to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until Quinoa is tender.
2. Place Quinoa aside and allow to cool completely.
3. Mix up the vinaigrette.  Combine vinegar, oil, honey and pepper.  Wisk until completely combined.
4. Finally, combine everything.  Add the vinaigrette slowly.  You may not even need it all!