Labor Day: Healthy Options for Backyard Barbecues

Celebrating Labor Day with a cookout? Holiday festivities can be stressful for someone wanting to lose weight. Don’t stress this Labor Day weekend — Your Lean Life has compiled a list of healthy options for backyard barbecues:

Protein is the star of the show at any cookout. However, a lot of barbecued meat is heavy in fat. When preparing for your backyard barbecue, opt for lean protein options. Whether it’s beef, pork, turkey, or chicken, most frozen food aisles offer lean options for your favorite meats. If you’re wanting to avoid red meat, ground turkey, chicken, fish, or shrimp are great alternatives to beef. 

Burgers are delicious, but hamburger buns are high in carbs. Lettuce wraps are a great alternative to burgers or hot dogs and can be equally as filling. Using a lettuce leaf as a “tortilla”, stuff your lettuce wraps with a lean protein of your choice, lots of vegetables, condiments, and more.

Finding ways to incorporate nutrient-rich, low-carb vegetables into your barbecue dishes will be your saving grace — and veggie kabobs are a great option! Line skewers with a lean protein of your choice and diced veggies, like bell peppers, onions, carrots, tomatoes, etc. Veggie kabobs are easy, nutritious, and delicious.

Pasta salad and potato salad are two of the most popular barbecue side dishes. However, pasta and potatoes are high in carbs. Ditch the starchy carbs for a veggie-based salad, like cucumber salad. Slice up some cucumber and onion, add some sweet or tangy vinaigrette, and throw it all in a bowl. Cucumber salad is simple, delicious, and just as satisfying.

Proper nutrition is the foundation of a healthy lifestyle and sustainable weight loss. Not sure where to begin? The registered dieticians at Your Lean Life are ready to help! Through personal or mini-group nutritional coaching, our professionals can help you develop a better relationship with food. Interested in learning more? Contact us today!