WARM WEATHER EATING TIPS
Make your picnics, barbeques, and other festive summer meals healthier.
MAIN DISHES
Fish/seafood: Grill with vegetables or bake in oven in foil packets for quick, low-fat weekday meal. Try spicy fish tacos, grilled salmon or shrimp with garlic and ginger.
Chicken: Marinate and grill/bake and use for salads, wraps, fajitas.
Pork: Use a dry rub to add flavor to lean pork chops or pork loin, which are low in fat.
Beef: Marinate leaner cuts such as top sirloin, top and bottom round. Flank steak is slightly higher in fat and great for fajitas. Grill red peppers and/or zucchini to add color and flavor.
To reduce the fat in burgers, use 95% lean meat (beef or turkey). A chef tip to reduce the fat is to replace 1/4 of the meat with cherry or prune pulp, this helps to retain moisture and add flavor, and is undetectable.
SIDE DISHES
Try reducing the amount of mayonnaise and dressings in salads.
Substitute plain yogurt, low fat sour cream, or Veganaise (egg, gluten and dairy free).
Add salads or platters with a variety of colorful vegetables, grilled or raw. Add beans, nuts or seeds to add protein, texture and crunch.
DESSERTS
Help guests, and yourself: put out a fruit platter, or limit portions by cutting cakes and brownies into smaller slices and bite size pieces. Enjoy a couple of smaller treats without consuming excessive calories.