1. Bad BBQ main dish: A
cheeseburger. A quarter-pound beef burger with a slice of
cheese will set you back 510 calories (26 grams of fat). Skipping
the cheese will save you about 100 calories. But if you love a good
burger, go for it. It’s an excellent source of iron.
Better BBQ main dish: A hot dog
is lower in calories than you might think. Enjoy one on a roll with
your favorite toppings (with lower-cal toppings like mustard,
relish or just a little ketchup) and you’ll come out around 300
calories, 17 g fat.
Related: Can’t live without your burger? Try one of these delicious, better-for-you burger recipes.
2. Bad BBQ side dish: Potato
salad. There’s nothing inherently bad about potatoes:
they’re actually a great source of vitamin C and fiber, but they
contain more calories than other veggies. Plus, most potato salads
are smothered in way too much full-fat mayo and will cost you about
360 calories and 20 or so grams of fat per cup.
Better BBQ side dish: Coleslaw
can satisfy a craving for something creamy for far fewer calories
(83, with 3 grams of fat per cup). Low-cal cabbage is also a rich
source of isothiocyanates, compounds that amp up the body’s natural
detoxifying enzymes.
Related: Low-Cal Potato Salad Recipes That Won’t Pack Pounds
3. Bad BBQ appetizer: Potato chips with
French Onion dip. A large handful of chips delivers about
150 calories and 10 grams of fat. Add to that 60 calories and 4.5
grams of fat from 2 tablespoons of dip. Tortilla chips and
guacamole deliver about the same calories (about 140 calories, 7
grams of fat, plus 50 calories and 4.5 grams of fat in the guac).
The problem with these snacks isn’t so much how many calories one
serving delivers, but rather how darn hard it is to stop there.
Better BBQ appetizer: Veggies with hummus. You can
have a full cup of sugar snap peas for 60 calories (0 grams of
fat). Add 2 tablespoons of hummus (50 calories, 3 grams of fat) and
you have a nice fiber-rich (read: uber-filling) snack for just a
little more than 100 calories.
4. Bad BBQ drink: Margarita (or most other
cocktails). Between the alcohol and mixers, a small 3.5-ounce drink
packs about 160 calories (0 grams of fat). If you’re staying away
from alcohol, you might want to stay away from
soda, too: a 12-ounce can delivers about 150
calories—all from added sugars.
Better BBQ (alcoholic) drink: Light beer. A 12-ounce bottle generally has a little less than 100 calories. Or go for the best choice of all: zero-calorie flavored seltzer.
5. Bad BBQ dessert: Strawberry
shortcake. Just because it contains fruit doesn’t mean
it’s the healthiest or lowest-calorie choice. Between the cake and
the loads of whipped cream that typically tops this summer
favorite, you get a lot more calories than you may be bargaining
for: about 425 (and around 20-25 grams of fat).
Better BBQ dessert: A frozen fruit
bar (100 calories, 0 grams of fat). Or even a scoop of
vanilla ice cream: 140 calories, about 5 grams of fat.
Related: Craving a brownie or bar instead? Browse these rich-tasting, low-calorie recipes.
What are your favorite diet-friendly BBQ foods?
Nicci Micco is editor-at-large for EatingWell and co-author of EatingWell 500-Calorie Dinners. She has a master's degree in nutrition and food sciences, with a focus in weight management.
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