We celebrate holidays and birthdays by lighting up the grill and inviting friends and neighbors – a fun outdoor barbecue can seem like summer. You may feel like you have to ditch your healthy eating when you commit to attending a barbecue, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
There are countless ways to eat healthy at a barbecue, and if you are the host, you have a host of healthy and delicious options to choose from while planning your menu.
Here are some of my favorite healthy menu options for your summer barbecue.
Appetizers
Guacamole
Ingredients: 3 avocados, crushed; 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro; 1/2 chopped onion; 1 tomato, diced; 2 tablespoons of lime juice; jalapeños (optional). Mix all the ingredients and enjoy!
Watermelon on pizza
Slice the watermelon and cut it into triangles, like a pizza. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with feta cheese (optional), sprinkle with almonds or walnut slices. Top with any other desired fruit, such as pomegranate seeds, strawberries, or blueberries.
Stuffed mushrooms
Destemmed mushrooms. Drizzle the mushrooms with olive oil and fill the mushrooms with your desired ingredients. My suggestion: minced garlic, spinach, and onion. Cook mushrooms at 350 degrees for 20-45 minutes, until tender.
Main courses
Shrimp skewer
Place shrimp on skewers and drizzle with fresh lemon juice. Top with freshly ground black pepper, fresh herbs of your choice and grill until cooked through.
Portobello Burger
Drizzle olive oil over the portobello tops and grill until cooked through. Use portobello tops as a hamburger bun. Place the burger of your choice (veggie, black beans, turkey, etc.) between the portobello tops. Top with the toppings of your choice and enjoy!
Roasted vegetables
As simple as that, but how delicious! Drizzle the veggies of your choice (I highly recommend zucchini, red pepper, and eggplant) with olive oil and fresh herbs. Grill to your favorite tenderness.
Fittings
Cucumber Dill Salad
Ingredients: 3 cucumbers, sliced; 1 white onion, sliced; 1/3 cup cider or white vinegar; 1 teaspoon minced garlic; 1 green onion stalk, sliced; 2 tablespoons freshly chopped dill. Mix all ingredients and chill before serving.
Tomato and Chickpea Salad
Ingredients: 1 can of chickpeas, drained; 1/2 red onion, sliced; 1 tablespoon of minced garlic; 1 cup of chopped cucumber; 1/2 cup of chopped parsley; 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half; 1/3 cup of olive oil; 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar; freshly ground black pepper. Mix all the ingredients and chill.
Potato salad with avocado
Ingredients: 2 pounds of small red potatoes; 3 avocados, mashed; 1/2 cup of chopped onion; 1 tablespoon of minced garlic; freshly ground black pepper Cook potatoes until tender. Cut the potatoes and add the remaining ingredients.
Desserts
Chocolate and banana cream
Ingredients: 2 bananas; 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder. Cut the bananas into slices and freeze for 30-45 minutes. Blend the frozen bananas with the cocoa powder. Blend until smooth and top with any additional ingredients you want.
Grilled pineapple a la mode
Slice the pineapples and roast them briefly until hot. Top with your favorite dairy-free ice cream and sprinkle with honey.
There are always healthy versions of your favorite foods, if you can choose healthy over not-so-healthy, go for it.