How to Enjoy a Cookout and Stick to Your Goals (without a lot of effort)

The Fourth of July can be pretty dull until fireworks time, which makes it a great day to eat three entire bags of chips and drink more than your weekly limit while you shuffle around near the grill, graze, and try to avoid weird tan lines.  I’m not going to recommend a single celery stick or skipped meal in this guide – I just want to help you enjoy any summer cookout without sacrificing your healthy living goals.  Ready?

Easy: Limit/skip sodas and buns.

Sodas and hot dog/burger buns don’t add a lot to your life nutritionally, but they do bring a lot of simple carbs to your day.  Save your carbs for more enjoyable treats (keep reading!) and wrap your grilled goodies in lettuce (butter lettuce or green leaf lettuce work the best since the leaves are large and flexible).

If you’re hosting: Do you even need soda this year?  (Make sure to have some lettuce on hand for the anti-bun tribe I’m starting.)

Easy: Emphasize veggies, fruit, proteins, and other whole foods.

I’m willing to bet that your cookout features watermelon (possibly in the shape of a basket), something patriotic with strawberries/blueberries, and, if you’re lucky, some pineapple stars.  Your burger (or veggie burger) actually tastes better when you load it up with veggies (even if they’re pickled).  And, of course, your burger or other main protein (teriyaki tofu, anyone?) is the star of the show.  Don’t hesitate to fill up your plate with these choices!

If you’re hosting: Every grocery store has inexpensive veggie trays prepped and ready to go – you might want to pick up a bottle of vegan salad dressing for dipping in case any of your guests have any dietary restrictions. You don’t have to make a watermelon basket.

A little tougher: Don’t get too SaD (Sides and Desserts).

See what I did there? It’s time to be selective when it comes time to choose your sides and desserts – but we did skip the bun back in tip #1 so we could enjoy some treats.  Personally, I’d pick:

• homemade stuff (Aunt Carol’s potato salad) over storebought stuff (deli macaroni salad – you can get that any time)
• whole foods over processed foods (looking at you, chips!)
• my seasonal favorites over the same old stuff (grilling s’mores?! yes, please)
• reasonable portions (a pint isn’t actually the ice cream serving size)

Yes, the buttered corn on the cob is the better choice than the 100-calorie pack of baked chips.

No, one s’more won’t hurt you. (But 10 might.)

If you’re hosting: Make this the year that you run out of chips during the party (if you serve them at all) rather than having 3 bags left over.

A little tougher: Drink water….

According to NIH, women should consume no more than 3 drinks a day and no more than 7 drinks a week.  Alcohol consumption above that level has been shown to increase your risk of physical and mental health problems.

Cool, no problem except…a single margarita typically counts as 3 drinks.  (A “drink” is based on the amount of alcohol, not the number of cups you have held.)

A single shot of hard liquor is typically one drink, as is 5oz of wine (which is not an “all the way to the top” pour) or a 12oz beer.  For reference, Solo cups are usually 16oz.

If you’re hosting: Consider saving money and maybe lives by making a wine spritzer, a sangria that’s more juice and sparkling water than it is alcohol, or a signature party drink that’s so tasty your guests won’t need to down it by the bucketful.

If you’re just partying, and you think it will be impossible to make it through the whole afternoon and evening without having more than 3 portions of alcohol, get new friends who you like better.

Or just give it a try.  You might be surprised by how little you actually “need” those additional drinks.