Put a Healthy Twist on Those Summer Cookouts
Courtesy of the YP4H Personal Health Coaching Program
The Your Plan for Health (YP4H) Personal Health Coaching Program, provided by OSU Health Plan, helps Ohio State faculty and staff live healthier lifestyles by working with you to establish and accomplish personal health and wellness goals.
A health coach can assist you in a wide range of topics, including finding healthier snack options, increasing exercise, quitting smoking, or managing stress.
In this summer edition of Resources, health coach and registered dietitian Lindsay Badertscher shares ways to ensure that summer’s cornerstone activity—the barbecue—remains a healthy yet enjoyable option as you celebrate the warm weather.
Tips for a Healthy Cookout
When most people think of a cookout, they envision hot dogs and hamburgers on white buns, creamy potato salad, and potato chips—all foods that can weigh heavily on your heart and increase your waistline. It may seem impossible to make healthy food choices at summer gatherings, but you really can enjoy a fun, tasty, and healthy cookout.
The Main Entree
Instead of high-fat hamburgers and hot dogs, choose leaner proteins to cut down on the saturated fat—the kind that clogs arteries and causes high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Try fresh fish grilled whole, in steaks or filets, or on a kabob. Salmon, grouper, shrimp, and tuna are great grilling options. Whole chicken or chicken breasts can be marinated with chipotle seasoning, vinaigrettes, barbecue sauce, jerk sauce, or Cajun seasoning. I love grilling thick, portobello mushrooms to eat as a substitute for a burger. I use a whole-wheat bun and top it with roasted red peppers, goat cheese, and arugula. Other popular ideas include turkey or chicken burgers made with all-white-meat ground turkey or chicken.
Healthier Salad Options
Another great tip is to lighten up on the salads with a vinaigrette dressing instead of a creamy dressing. Try mixing extra virgin olive oil, an acid (lemon juice, red wine/balsamic/champagne vinegar), and fresh herbs and spices. Dijon mustard is also a great addition.
Another great idea is to add grilled, raw, or roasted vegetables to bulk up the salad while lowering the calorie count. Substitute full-fat mayonnaise with light mayo or light sour cream (not fat free). Spicy arugula pesto or traditional basil pesto sauce in your pasta salad can add a great twist with whole-wheat pasta.
Tasty and Nutritious Side Dishes
There are so many delicious and creative sides in lieu of potato chips.
Fresh fruit kabobs are easy to prepare, or you can cut up the fruit and toss it in a bowl. Mozzarella, cherry tomato, and basil kabobs are also delicious. Or layer the ingredients on a tray and sprinkle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a refreshing side dish.
I enjoy making black bean and corn salsa and/or guacamole with whole-wheat tortilla chips. For delicious chip alternatives, you can use whole-wheat pita with olives, tabbouleh salad, and hummus. Another easy and tasty side is an array of grilled vegetables—served warm or at room temperature—by themselves or with hummus, guacamole, or feta cheese.
Beverage Choices
Many people forget the amount of calories and sugar they consume in drinks alone. For example, a 12-oz can of regular pop has 40 grams of sugar—more sugar than our bodies need for the entire day. Diet drinks also are not the best choice because artificial sweeteners are 200-300 times sweeter than regular sugar, which can confuse our bodies into thinking we’re hungry. Some healthier options are ice water with cucumber, orange, grapefruit, or lemon slices; sparkling water with a dash of 100 percent fruit juice; fresh-squeezed lemonade with a small amount of sugar; and black/green unsweetened tea.
Enjoy!
Making slight changes to your cookouts can save you hundreds of calories while you still enjoy a delicious meal. You can’t control what others serve, but you can eat traditional cookout foods by filling half your plate with vegetables and fruit, a quarter of your plate with lean protein, and saving the last quarter of your plate to try whatever you like. This helps with portion control and gives you a chance to taste the foods you like in moderation.
Tap into a Personal Health Coach
The YP4H Personal Health Coaching Program can help you set a little time aside to think about what healthy choices you’d like to make this summer, as well as explore more recipes and cookout tips. Health coaching sessions are done over the telephone so you can be anywhere as long as you have a private place to talk.
Connect with a health coach at (614) 292-9983, healthcoach.osuhealthplan@osumc.edu, or visit osuhealthplan.com/healthcoaching to learn more about the program and to watch videos demonstrating a typical health coaching session.
osuhealthplan.com/healthcoaching