I love summer time – for me food just tastes better when it’s cooked on the grill! Mind you that saves washing pots and pans!
I make it a practice to fix the meat and vegetables on the grill. I call it “Dinner in a snap”!
Of course summer is also the season for hamburger, brats, corn on the cob, and hot dogs. Those happen to be four of my favorite foods… so how do you still enjoy summer time food without putting weight back on or continue to lose weight?
Some of the same simple rules apply. First, your meat choices are a biggie. Opt for the lowest fat option in meat and try some new things. I never thought I’d like a turkey burger but I was so wrong!
One of my favorite ways to fix a turkey burger is to chop up some onion and peppers, get low-fat mozzarella cheese, and fat-free ranch dressing. Mix your ground turkey, onions, peppers, and 2 tablespoons of ranch dressing together well. Then blend in a cup of low-fat mozzarella cheese. Cook them on the grill and serve them on a whole wheat or 100% whole grain bun. To save some calories, serve it as an open face sandwich (one-half of the bun) and top it off with lettuce and tomato.
Additionally I eat a lot more fish in the summer. I love halibut, wild salmon, and mahi mahi steaks. They are very easy to cook on the grill and no smell in the house!
Kebabs are also a favorite around here. Make them with your favorite such as chicken, turkey, shrimp, other fish steaks, and yes have beef once in a while too! There are so many great vegetables to use with kebabs on the grill such as mushrooms, cherry or grape tomatoes, zucchini, squash, peppers, onions, and eggplant.
Corn on the cob is delicious cooked on the grill. Of course the fat comes from the butter that we use. I discovered how great corn on the cob is without using butter. It’s very sweet, tender and delicious. So now when I have a craving for corn – I cook it on the grill and eat in plain.
And if you love tomatoes, add those to your grill. I love them fresh and grilled. Try it!
Enjoy your summer – try some healthy foods on the grill… you’ll be glad you did!
