The summer season is a time that is primarily associated with long-awaited gatherings with loved ones and, as you know, barbecues. If you are reading this text, you are probably preparing to fire up the grill. But what if you are on a diet? In this article we suggest how to slim down your barbecue.
The answer is, of course you can. You probably associate barbecue meals with fatty meat, usually pork neck grilled for a long time until the characteristic charring occurs. If you’re eating healthy, on a diet or just looking for a different, healthier and more interesting alternative, you’ve come to the right place. Learn some practical rules, as well as ingredients for healthy meals cooked on the grill.
Pork neck, bacon, sausage, black pudding – these are the ones that most often appear on the grill. These are very fatty and caloric items, so it’s no wonder that after eating a few grilled sausages or pieces of pork, you may feel satiated. For example, a grilled sausage (about 90 grams) is about 220 calories. On the other hand, the second most popular dish, the grilled pork neck in 100 grams is as much as about 300 calories and 19 grams of fat. So it is worth finding healthier and above all digestible alternatives that you can cook on the grill. Few people, unfortunately, decide to poultry, fish or vegetables, and these are the ones that are not only healthier, but also less caloric. For example, grilled poultry breast is (per 100 g) only about 123 calories and much less fat, less than 5 grams – that’s much less than the previously mentioned pork, isn’t it? A good accompaniment to this would be grilled vegetables, which have just 88 calories in a 100-gram serving. You can also use vegetables – zucchini, peppers, onions, mushrooms, eggplant will work great. And just like that, your two-ingredient meal on the grill is ready!
Remember that you can also put on the grill any of your favorite fish – salmon or tuna. Fish is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A, D, E and B, minerals such as phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium and trace elements: zinc, copper, manganese and iodine. Grilled salmon, for example, per 100 grams has about 160 kcal and 10 g protein, 9 g fat and 9 g carbohydrates. So it is not as fatty as other meat equivalents, and at the same time is a valuable source of animal protein, which is extremely important in diets, especially reducing. It is best to grill fish sprinkled with lemon and seasoned in aluminum foil.
If you’ve never had the opportunity to taste sweet snacks in the form of grilled fruit – be sure to give it a try. The most popular fruits for grilling are bananas, pears, apples, but you can also try citrus or watermelon. Remember, though, that fruits are much more delicate than vegetables, so keep them over the grill very briefly so they don’t burn. You can experiment here and make a mix of fruits in the form of fruit skewers – the combinations are very numerous. For a richer taste you can serve them with a natural sauce such as natural yogurt with a pinch of cinnamon or ginger. Such a sauce is much healthier than the ready-made ones you will find on supermarket shelves.
The basis for grilled meats are, of course, marinades, because they determine the taste. Marinades can be made from many healthy and low-calorie ingredients. Their advantage is that they improve metabolism. For a sweet and sour marinade you can use, for example, a few tablespoons of soy sauce, a little olive oil, coconut sugar, a pinch of ginger and garlic. For the popular honey-mustard marinade you can use 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the same amount of honey and mustard and a small teaspoon of paprika. On the other hand, if you like a lemon and garlic flavored marinade use olive oil, lemon juice and crushed garlic.
Read also: Healthy party snacks – what goes by that name?
Main Photo: torwaiphoto/ adobestock.com
