I know for some, it is allergy season. But for me, it’s that season where there is a picnic, party, barbeque or some sort of eating fest every time we turn around! Winston Churchill’s wise words that “Failure to Plan is a Plan for Failure” resonate in my head as I look ahead to the summer months.
It seems as though we go from one eating season to another – from holiday festivities between Thanksgiving and New Years, to Valentine and Easter chocolate and candy, then summer ball games, picnics, barbeques and weddings, to Halloween treats and back to the holidays again.
So much of America’s celebrations revolve around FOOD! That in itself isn’t the toughest part, it’s that most of those foods at the social events are so very unhealthy and I just don’t want to over indulge. Well I may want to, but you know what I mean. 😉
To win this battle, I’ve got to be armed and ready! For me, that means planning ahead depending on the event or activity.
For events where the food is provided, I don’t go ‘starving’, so I’m not tempted to grab anything and run. I eat well ahead of time, and then, make the best choices I can – salad and vegetables first, chicken if that’s an option for meat, and hopefully there will be some fruit or lighter jello amongst the slew of pies, cakes and desserts.
If it’s a ‘bring-a-dish-to-pass’ kind of event then I’m good to go; we will make a big healthy option dish to share.
The easiest way is if it’s something we can host, and then we can manage what goes into the dishes and keep them as healthy as possible. For the meat, if burgers are on the menu we’ll use extra lean hamburg, or even ground turkey sometimes and pair it up with whole wheat rolls. Grilled chicken with different seasonings or even shish-kabobs are great options as well. Grilled vegetables, fresh fruits, beans, lean meats and salads that aren’t drowning in high calorie full fat mayo and salt can make for a fantastic menu that no one will even realize is good for them.
If you look around, you can find that so many of our American ‘staple’ summer picnic foods that are loaded with calories and unhealthy fats, can be revamped with a little time and effort and taste just as good as the old fashioned versions or even better! Really!
Here are some healthier ingredients to substitute and make your recipes lighter.
- A healthy vinaigrette type dressing or light versions of mayo and miracle whip
- More pepper, less salt. Try garlic, chili pepper and other spices to avoid using salt as much as possible.
- Egg beaters instead of eggs.
- Oat, whole wheat or soy flour instead of white
- Olive or canola oil rather than vegetable oil
- Hummus dip for veggies and crackers or salsa
And of course – portion control! When the picnics and parties last all day long, be careful not to eat all day long! I’d love to hear your tips and tricks to surviving the summer season in shape! Please Comment and Share!