Stay Lean During a Long Weekend BBQ!
Happy belated Canada Day to my fellow Canucks and salutations to my friends south of the border who celebrated Independence Day. Chances are we all attended or hosted at least one BBQ or cookout this past week and why not?
It’s the summer time season and there’s nothing more enjoyable then spending time with family and friends while enjoying food over an open fire.
But it’s also crucial your preparing healthy and safe BBQ meals by keeping the grill clean, washing your hands and following other BBQ tips for an enjoyable cookout.
[How many people tried to cook a deep fried turkey this past weekend? I tried it once and never again! Haven't done a beach cookout in a long time so maybe the photo above will inspire me to do one this summer]
Unfortunately, even if we follow every healthy step in preparing our food, we can still screw up our weight loss goals by the time the food leaves the grill and enters our mouth.
How?
It’s all in the condiments and sauces we choose as our toppings.
A tablespoon of ketchup has about 15 calories and no fat. Its main ingredient is tomato concentrate made from actual tomatoes, which contain Vitamin C, folate, potassium and lycopene.
Studies have found a correlation between lycopene, an antioxidant, and a reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease, some cancers and macular degeneration.
Sounds good, now pass me the Heinz!
[I don't even remember this commercial but how ironic is it today? Matt LeBlanc's career has fallen off a building slowly but surely. What the hell happened to this guy?]
Not so fast! Ketchup has a lot of sodium. That single tablespoon delivers 190 milligrams (mg), about 8 per cent of the recommended daily limit (between 1,500 and 2,300 mg) for most people.
Health nuts will suggest making your own ketchup with fresh or canned tomatoes that will contain about the same nutrients as store-bought, including lycopene but with less salt and sugar levels.
However, in my books, ketchup is sacred and should not be tampered with or reproduced. Even non-Heinz brands can’t fool my taste buds and some even have higher sodium levels!
If those 15 calories will keep you sleepless tonight then give Salsa a try. It can be more healthful, particularly if you buy a refrigerated version. The room-temperature jars are more likely to contain more preservatives like added sweeteners and sodium so don’t bother.
Smooth it out with Mayo!
Mayonnaise is made mostly of eggs and oil; eggs are a good source of alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid that appears to promote cardiovascular health. Look for mayo made with olive or canola oil, both of which are also good for your heart.
Don’t worry much about the cholesterol: Even full-fat mayo has just 5 grams per tablespoon, and the Hellman’s variety made with canola oil has no cholesterol. Canola-based mayo also provides six grams of calcium and 6 per cent of the U.S. government-established daily value of Vitamin E per tablespoon plus 25 per cent of the daily value for alpha-linolenic acid.
Now the bad news. Full-fat mayonnaise has about 90 calories per tablespoon and 10 grams of fat; the same amount of a reduced-fat variety has 35 calories and 3.5 grams of fat. And watch out for the sodium: 130 mg per tablespoon.
If your making your own ketchup, then why not your own mayo?
Homemade mayonnaise can be made with fewer than a half-dozen ingredients: eggs, oil, and salt plus some lemon juice or vinegar and, in some recipes, a bit of mustard.
However, it seems hardly worth it because your homemade version ends up being more caloric than store-bought (about 130 calories per tablespoon, according to the common recipe).
Enter the Avocado Aficionado
A healthy alternative I came across in the past year is mashing up avocado, preferably a ripe one.
Avocado, like mayo, is pretty much pure fat (about 5 grams per tablespoon) but most of it is oleic acid, the kind that’s good for your cardiovascular system. You’ll also be getting potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure, and heart-healthy folate, all for about 55 calories per tablespoon.
I am a Mustard Man
Not the Dijon (such as Grey Poupon) fancy pants type but the plain yellow (think French’s) stuff. The guy in the custome is priceless. His face tells me either shame or drunkeness, I’m still trying to decide. Back to mustard…
Mustards both contain mustard seed, which is full of selenium, a nutrient thought to protect against some cancers, and omega-3 fatty acids. The little seeds are also surprisingly good sources of iron, calcium, zinc, manganese, magnesium, protein, niacin and even fibre.
Plain yellow mustard also features turmeric, a spice common to Indian cooking that has recently received attention in the West for its anti-inflammatory properties. Neither has any fat, and both kinds are low in calories: Dijon has about the same as ketchup, 15 per tablespoon, and yellow mustard boasts ZERO fat per serving!
If you prefer the Dijon, then you should know it has more then twice the amount of sodium then plain old French’s (360 mg per tablespoon vs. 165 mg).
No need to waste your time making your own since plain old yellow mustard has zero fat per serving (yes I repeated that twice in one minute). Nice!
The forgotten condiment: Relish
I’ll admit, I’m completely indifferent to relish but I was a tad surprised to find out during my research that once you get past the sweetened high fructose corn syrup, it’s actually low in calories (just 10 per tablespoon) and sodium levels are lower then expected too, with just 85 mg in that tablespoon.
The only health concern reported was that some brands contained sodium benzoate, to which some people have allergic reactions.
Of all the condiment options, relish seems to have the most receipe options that include fresh peppers, onions, garlic and other interesting spices. Look them up if your in the homemade mode of cooking. My preference will always be a couple of pickle slices or a whole pickle on the side.
For more ideas regarding healthy BBQ eating, check out our Truth About Six Pack Abs review. You will find nutrition guidelines, eating habits and need-to-know information regarding your body and why the majority of people trying to lose weight fail miserably.
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July 20th, 2009 at
[...] Speaking of nutrional value, this recipe is bullet proof. Unless of course you have hefty out-of-control servings of these toppings on your meat. [...]