Tips for Navigating Summer Cookouts

Lifestyle
Brianna Engebretsen
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Happy Summer, Healthi Family! It’s officially cookout season, which means many of us are attending get-togethers and barbecues (or whatever you call them) and eating all the delicious foods that summer has to offer. For some, this can come with the belief that these foods aren’t healthy or “on plan,” but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Let’s have a brief chat about navigating the summer cookout season in a balanced and nourishing way.

Embracing Summer Cookout Foods

Growing up in the Midwest, I had a very specific idea of how our summer cookout offerings looked. My plate often included a burger, hot dog, grilled chicken, or whatever meat was being cooked, corn on the cob, baked beans, macaroni salad, and watermelon. Now, if you take a look at the makings of that plate, there is a lot of nourishment there. Veggies and fiber are found in the beans, corn, and even in the tomatoes and lettuce I top my burger with. Protein is found in the grilled meat, fat is in the macaroni salad, and carbs are also in the macaroni salad as well as the bun. This is all good! There’s no such thing as bad food. What’s most important here is that we remember to eat only until our body is satisfied.

Eating Mindfully at Cookouts

In the past, I might have told you to eat before you go to a cookout so you don’t arrive hungry and overeat. Well, I have since learned differently. Instead, we are eating ONLY when we are hungry, so you want to be hungry when it is time to enjoy the delicious tastes of summer. Just make sure you are listening to your body and stopping when you are satisfied, not stuffed.

Tips for Balanced Eating at Cookouts

Here are a few ways to help with this:

Updated on:

September 6, 2024