Don’t Let July 4th Ruin Your Diet!
Here’s a scary statistic: the average person at a barbecue eats one hot dog, a burger, chips, cole slaw, potato salad, dessert and drinks one beer. That picnic menu clocks in at over 1,500 calories! If you’re trying to watch your diet, a picnic can do some major damage.
The good news is, that with some advance preparation, you can enjoy the picnic and still keep your calorie count in the reasonable range.
First, consider the options at a picnic. Usually you have several choices, so why not pick the healthiest possible one? For all the side dishes, try to go for ones that are in vinaigrette-type dressings instead of creamy mayonnaise sauces. You’ll save tremendous amounts of fat and calories. When it comes to meats, consider skipping the bun. Those extra calories aren’t necessary, and they give you more leeway for the real treat: grilled entrees! Chicken is generally the leanest meat, especially if you have it without the skin. Fat-free hot dogs aren’t bad, and even a nice lean burger can work for you. Ribs and steaks are higher on the calorie scale.
When it comes to the extras, try for a sugar-free drink. There are so many sodas and fruit beverages without added sugar that it’s a shame to waste your calories where it isn’t essential. For cold treats, stick with the non-creamy ones. Fruit bars and shaved ice are better choices than ice cream cones, bars and sandwiches.
If everyone is asked to bring a dish to share, here’s your insurance. If you know that what you have is healthy, you can eat plenty of that and just nibble at the high-calorie foods. Good choices would be veggies (raw, or marinated ones for the grill), fruit, baked chips, no-fat, sugar-free pudding parfaits, and a pasta-veggie salad.
See? You can enjoy a 4th of July barbecue and still keep on your plan. All it takes is some commitment and will power!
--statistics courtesy of Hungry Girl (www.hungrygirl.com)
