How to Build a Better BBQ

By: Nancy Collins, PhD, RD, LDN

This summer, challenge yourself to build a better BBQ. You'll enjoy your meal even more, knowing that you are saving calories, reducing fat, adding fiber and vitamins to your diet just by making a few easy substitutions. By planning ahead, you can have a healthy, hearty BBQ that’s just as good as those you enjoyed as a kid.

Instead of Ground Beef Burger

try Portobello Mushroom Burger or Vegetable Burger

Saves calories and reduces fat. A four-ounce hamburger patty made with 10% fat ground beef contains 200 hundred calories and eleven grams of fat. A veggie burger, such as the All American Flamed Grilled Boca Burger, has only ninety calories and three grams of fat.

Instead of White Buns


try Whole Grain Buns

Adds fiber to your diet by trading a white bread bun for a whole wheat or multigrain bun. The white version has almost no fiber while the whole wheat variety contains about three grams.

Instead of Mayonnaise


try Mustard

Hold the mayo and choose mustard instead. One tablespoon of real mayonnaise packs one hundred calories – all from fat. Opt for light or reduced calorie mayo or, better yet, select mustard. The same amount of mustard has about fifteen calories. Mustard comes in a wide variety of zingy flavors, so it should be easy to find one you like.

Instead of Potato Chips and Sour Cream Sip


try Baked Chips and Salsa

Cuts fat, fat and more fat. Regular chips have 150 calories and ten grams of fat in one ounce (about fifteen chips). Baked chips have 120 calories and only two grams of fat. The dip will do you in, too. Every tablespoon of onion dip adds another two grams of fat.

Instead of Macaroni and Potato Salad


try Grilled Vegetables

Adds fiber and cuts fat grams. Simply slice veggies such as eggplant, zucchini, onions, and green peppers. Lightly coat them with olive oil and grill over medium heat until tender.

Instead of Ice Cream Bar


try Frozen Fruit Bar

Cool off with a frozen fruit bar to save calories and slash fat. Read the labels and look for bars containing real pureed fruit and fruit juice. The typical premium ice cream bar will top your meal with another two hundred calories, while the fruit bar satisfies with less than half that amount.

Instead of Soda


try Iced Green Tea

Adds antioxidants to your diet. A twelve-ounce can of soda has about ten teaspoons of sugar, which is bad for your teeth as well as your waistline.



For more great nutrition tips visit http://www.montana.edu/health/nutrition/