Top Tips for a Healthier BBQ
The summer BBQ can be heavy on fat and calories but there
are easy ways to create a healthier BBQ feast without scrimping on taste. Try these simple tips from The Yorkshire
Dietitian Vanessa Quarmby and HECK.
Fill your plate with veggies and salad. We should all be
eating plenty of veg and BBQ season is the best time to eat more. Vegetables
can be transformed into delicious dishes. Why not try asparagus brushed with
oil or vegetable kebabs? Try peppers, mushrooms, courgettes, tomatoes and
onions on skewers. They are really tasty if brushed with oil or a marinade.
Corn on the cob is another delicious way of hitting your 5 a day.
Try not to burn or char food too much. Keep turning meat over on the BBQ and remove
charred portions of meat before eating; all these tips can help you reduce your
intake of unhealthy substances that can form when meat is heated at very high
temperatures.
Many of us these days might be a little more conscious of
the food we eat, whether for general health or weight loss reasons. If you're
watching your waistline, try a lower fat sausage, there's lots of new products
out there such as the HECK chicken range.
Traditional sausages and burgers can be high in calories and fat but
manufacturers like HECK have been thinking about this.... Their chicken
sausages and burgers contain up to 70% less fat and having lower fat choices
for the BBQ can help you maintain a lean body weight.
Did you think fish wasn't suitable for the BBQ? Think again!
Salmon, trout, sea bream or any fish you fancy with a slice of lemon wrapped in
foil can be quickly and easily cooked on a BBQ. Served with new potatoes and
salad makes for a very healthy meal.
If you are watching your fat intake use a spray oil (instead
of brushing foods with oil) or use a lower fat marinade.
Don't feel guilty putting a tasty burger on the BBQ; red
meat, such as beef, provides iron and some of us are not getting enough in our
diets. Having salad with your burger can help you to absorb the iron better as
foods such as tomatoes provide vitamin C to increase the absorption of iron.
Jacket potatoes or sweet potatoes cooked in the BBQ are
delicious and low in fat. Simply wrap in foil and place directly in the coals
for an hour (for a tennis ball sized spud). Great if you have vegetarian guests
or guests with a dairy/gluten intolerance.
Side dishes needn't be unhealthy or covered in mayonnaise.
Try yogurt dressings for salads such as coleslaw or how about having a rice
salad, with raisins for chewy sweetness and crisp apple for crunch. We all know
we should eat more fibre but most of us don't know what to do with beans or
lentils; try making a salad with them, they add protein, fibre and they're low
in fat too.
Vegetarians can sometimes get a raw deal when it comes to
good BBQ food but there are many new products on the market including HECK's
new meat-free range, providing more choice this summer.
You can make the BBQ do all the hard work for dessert too -
simply wrap bananas in foil and put them in the glowing embers, serve with
Greek yogurt for a sticky sweet and healthy pud.
Buy HECK at Tesco, Waitrose, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's,
Booths and online from www.heckfood.co.uk.
HECK vegetarian is available from the new Free From fridges in selected
larger Waitrose stores and from the HECK website.
If you want to find out more about Chef Wise go to
the Chef Wise web site just follow the links below.
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