Dunne BBQ
Oh boys, what a lucky person I am. Finally, I was able to get the bottle of sunscreen out from under the dust, the toes can show again, and the coat can stay at home. It is spring, or you might as well say summer. And I don't know how it is for you, but my weekend consists of one big barbecue. There's nothing more fun than that. Enjoying food and drinks all evening, with my feet in the grass and the sun on my face. But such a barbecue is often quite a calorie-rich affair, if you handle it wisely. And that's where I come in. With these 8 handy tips, you can grill along without having to suffer from hunger tonight.
1. Bread
One of the tastiest things on that garden table. Crunchy fresh and warm baguette. Super tasty, but quite filling. If you're not careful, you'll have eaten half a loaf before the piece of meat is on your plate, and the barbecue party hasn't even started yet.
2. Sauces
Homemade garlic sauce, soft creamy cocktail sauce, and smoky barbecue sauce. Or refreshing sweet ravigotte sauce with dill and chopped Amsterdam onions. The only thing that belongs with that is a nice piece of warm crispy baguette. I might even like that the most of the whole barbecue. However, all those sauces are sneaky calories. Go for a fresh garlic sauce based on yogurt or, for example, a tapenade.
3. Meat choice
Burgers, shoulder chops, spare ribs, and sausages; they all smile at you from the grill, but just stick it right on your hips because it's not very conscious. Better to grab a stray chicken drumstick or beef skewer from the barbecue.
4. Veggie or fish
Fortunately, the vegetarian section in the supermarket is expanding more and more, and most of these meat substitutes can be grilled just fine. If not, look for a shrimp skewer or a package filled with a nice piece of salmon. They are easier to digest, and you immediately get your portion of Omega-3 for the day.
5. Salads
Call it salad, and it's healthy. Not so fast. Take the potato salad, which is not only a bomb of carbohydrates, but often the jar of mayonnaise has also fallen in. Or the pasta salad, which does indeed contain tomatoes and arugula, but also a good dollop of pesto and a swirl of olive oil. Preferably choose a green salad where (hopefully) the dressing is on the side or a homemade tabbouleh.
6. Dressings
That salad can be as healthy as it gets, if you dump a load of greasy dressing over it, you might as well have a burger. Leave the bottles of ready-made dressing alone and go for a swirl of olive oil and vinegar. A bit of pepper and salt, and your salad is tasty and still healthy.
7. Vegetables
Go for the grilled vegetables from the grill. You won't get healthier than that, and you immediately get your portion of vitamins in.
8. Drinks
A barbecue is like a five-course dinner: keep eating, but also keep drinking. Take a glass of water in between so you don't have to stumble through the evening halfway through the barbecue. That glass of wine easily hits 100 kcal. Before you know it, you've finished a bottle and consumed about 500 kcal.
9. Dessert
Marshmallows from the grill? Or a grilled banana with melted chocolate and a scoop of vanilla ice cream from the barbecue? Reach for the bowl of fruit salad. Yes, girlfriend, those are sugars too, but it's still better than that calorie bomb.
Credits: Rob Bye
