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It’s BBQ time!
 
So the sun has finally come out and everyone has rushed to the shops to buy charcoal and are fighting over the individually wrapped plastic cheese squares and the nearly out-of-date hotdog rolls that have been dropped 5 or 6 times.
 
Being the popular and social person that you are, you have been invited to 5 BBQs and are throwing one yourself, all in the space of our long summer of two weeks.
 
Now you are caught in a tricky position – you have been working hard for that beach body as your annual trip to the sun with a sandy beach is coming up, but now you are about to have drinks in the sun with crisps, burgers and bangers.
 
What if there was a way to have a healthy and tasty BBQ – wouldn’t that be fantastic? Well there’s no reason that it can’t be a healthy event; with a little bit of thought and some sensible choices you can still say ‘yes’ to all the invites and stay on track with your health and fitness goals. Follow these hints and tips and it’s “sun’s out buns out” and smiles all around.
 
1 Stay hydrated
 
So what are two of the most dehydrating things you can do?
 

  • Drink alcohol
  • Sit in the sun for hours on end

 
So a pretty simple rule…. drink a glass of water every hour (and more if you are having a boozy one), however of course the less booze the better – we all know it, I’m just saying it.
 
2 Portion control
 
So if you were making yourself a lunch or a dinner would you snack on crisps and other nibbles before making a plate with a double cheese burger, two hotdogs, a lamb kebab, some ribs, some chicken drummers and a corn on the cob as your veg? I would like to guess not. We always want to try a bit of everything, I get that, but someone went to the effort of making three types of salads which will go in the bin later, so why not have a good portion of them and pick one or two things off the grill and enjoy.
 
3 Be a little different
 
If it’s your turn to host and you are writing the shopping list – doesn’t everyone serve burgers and hotdogs? If you think about it, a BBQ is just a grill so why not cook something different on it? What about marinating some chicken or fish, prawns or lobster? And don’t forget the veggies; there’s the traditional veg kebab but you can also throw on asparagus and courgette slices (without losing them down the holes!), tomatoes on the vine or stuffed peppers. If you just wanted to cook outside, stick a pan on the BBQ and you can make a one-pot chilli – no one said you have to conform.
 
4 Something cold
 
It’s hot and you’re outside so you have to have something cold right? And you aren’t drinking so you can have a treat – mini Magnums aren’t bad, as they’re small right? Sorry, they’re still just sugar. However, you can make your own frozen treats and the kids especially will love them. You can make it as simple as fruit juice on a stick; all you need are some molds. Want to be more creative?  Blend some mayo and yoghurt (mine are in the freezer, I hope this works) or maybe milk and strawberries. It will fill that craving and cool you down – winner!
 
5 Have fun
 
Your health goals should not get in the way of your life; a sensible and sustainable nutrition plan for your goals should be easy to follow and enjoyable. With a few sensible choices and a positive mindset you can achieve anything you put your mind to.
 
Have a great summer and remember it will be my cheat day on the day of the PPT birthday BBQ 😉

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