Enjoy a Backyard Blowout without Blowing Out Your Belt!

Enjoying the weather, catching up with friends and family, playing games and catching some summer rays; that’s what a cookout is all about. But what about those burgers, hotdogs, mac n’ cheese, potato salads, chips and sugary lemonades; that’s also what cookouts are about, right? If you are anything like me, the great company and beautiful weather make it easy to let your guard down when it comes to making the right decisions about food.

But who wants to be worrying about counting calories during a cookout? Or worse yet – miss out on the fun all together in attempts to watch a diet? NOT ME! So what can you do to enjoy cookouts to the fullest and still look good in those bathing suits? Try a few of these tips:

Reach for those 100% whole wheat buns instead of the white for a healthy dose of fiber
Stay away from high-fat toppings like cheese, mayo and bacon. Swap them out for other toppings high in flavor like mustard, pickles, onions and cheese slices made with skim or 2% milk.
Snack on baked chips (or better yet, fresh veggies) instead of traditional fried chips and dip them in salsa or guacamole instead of those other creamy ranch dips
Instead of sipping on sugary lemonade, try water with lemon, un-sweet tea or even a diet soda
Use smaller plates – research shows those that use smaller plates actually eat less without even noticing it!
Eat the healthier stuff first, you may find you have less room and desire for the “bad stuff”
Take part in another activity the cookout has to offer other than eating – this will allow you to have fun, keep busy and distract you from “grazing” on chips and cookies throughout the day
Since everyone usually brings a dish to a cookout anyway, why not bring a healthy one such as a veggie platter or fruit salad
As soon as you feel full, throw away your plate as soon as you are done. This will keep you from snacking on any leftovers and prevent you from going back to fill up your plate for seconds