10 Healthy Ways to Spice Up Your Summer BBQ

Jul 1, 2014

NEW YORK

An old-fashioned summer cookout is not always a healthy affair, but these 10 tips from the registered dietitians at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital can easily convert a fatty-food blitz into a healthy and tasty menu:

  • Throw some unexpected foods on the grill like peaches, asparagus or even bread
  • Incorporate veggies into your BBQ menu by making kebabs instead of burgers
  • Cut the calories in your potato salad, coleslaw and macaroni salad by using mustard, vinegar or low-fat yogurt instead of mayonnaise
  • Alcohol may stimulate your appetite. Try creating nonalcoholic drinks by blending fresh squeezed juices and flavored seltzer waters
  • Turkey burgers, veggie burgers and Portobello mushroom burgers are all tasty and lower in calories than traditional beef burgers
  • Chicken gets a fresh burst of flavor when you cut back on salt and season it with fresh or dried herbs, vinegars, or citrus juices.
  • Make refreshing smoothies with fresh or frozen berries, peach nectar and ice
  • Eat healthy fats by adding fish to the menu, salmon or tuna
  • Tofu is delicious on the grill. Make sure you get the extra-firm type
  • Keep the food at a separate buffet table. Everyone will be less tempted to go for seconds if food is not in front of them while eating.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, based in New York City, is the nation's largest not-for-profit, non-sectarian hospital, with 2,353 beds. The Hospital has nearly 2 million inpatient and outpatient visits in a year, including more than 220,000 visits to its emergency departments — more than any other area hospital. NewYork-Presbyterian provides state-of-the-art inpatient, ambulatory and preventive care in all areas of medicine at five major centers: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian/The Allen Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division. One of the most comprehensive health care institutions in the world, the Hospital is committed to excellence in patient care, research, education and community service. NewYork-Presbyterian is the #1 hospital in the New York metropolitan area and is consistently ranked among the best academic medical institutions in the nation, according to U.S.News & World Report. The Hospital has academic affiliations with two of the nation's leading medical colleges: Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

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