Healthy Eating Habits

BBQ-ing for the FitLife is 5 simple strategies to enjoy time with family and friends without losing sight of your fitness goals.

Summer weather means barbeques!

And boy do I love a good one. The warm weather makes me want to be out in the sun all the time, even though I’ll probably get heat rash. It’s too nice to be inside and hanging out with friends outside with a cool summer drink and delicious food is how I’d like to spend every sunny day in the summer.

We don’t have a grill, but next year for sure, but I love going to barbecues. Mostly I go to them at mine and my boyfriend’s parents’ houses but you know that’s cool too lol. We’ll do a couple BBQs with friends. Really if we owned a grill, we’d probably do way more and actually socialize with others on a more regular basis. But literally every year our friend group dwindles because everyone keeps moving away. Now I’m completely off topic. Where were we?

Oh right, you can still enjoy all the BBQs and live the FitLife. Here are the tips and tricks I use and have learned from others with each passing summer.

#1 eat your other meals in the day. It’s easy to think “I’ll just save all my calories for the bbq so I can go HAM!” You should still enjoy but when you’re hangry, it’s hard to be mindful of what your eating, how much, and how quickly. Come a little hungry in case food is running late. No one wants a hangry at their house. If the BBQ isn’t until the late afternoon, have breakfast and a snack. If it’s in the evening, have breakfast and lunch. Opt for veggies and protein at these meals.

#2 veggies and protein are your friend and taste delicious on the grill. If you’re hosting, have protein options: chicken, burgers, brats, ribs, fish, or tofu. Consider grilling up veggies: asparagus, broccoli, squash, and even carrots. Make a salad to offer that’s full of dark leafy greens. If it’s potluck style, ask your guests to bring some veggies and protein. If you’re attending, bring a veggie dish. Then you’ll at least know there will be some to go with your meal.

#3 practice mindful eating. Part of mindful eating is eating slowly. Having eaten beforehand at some point in the day will help with this. But also it’s a great opportunity to listen to your body, eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. You don’t want to be too full to play cornhole, croquet, or bocce ball, or maybe you do lol. Enjoy each bite of your food, the tastes, textures, and flavors. You may find you’re satisfied on less as a result. Also, save room for dessert!

#4 stay hydrated. Drink yo water! Being out in the sun and having a couple or a bunch of boozy drinks will make you dehydrated. And then you’ll be snacking. I like a one to one ratio of water to boozy summer drink or beer.

#5 eat dessert and the mac and cheese (in a smaller to moderate portion size). But seriously, I’ve done too much restricting to encourage that life. My caveat, take a smaller portion and eat your protein and veggies first. I love dessert and mac and cheese and many other things. Just be mindful.

What are your best tips for your summer BBQ? Let me know in the comments!

Where I’m linked up:

Inspire Me Monday | Inspire Me Monday | Totally Terrific Tuesday | Coffee and Conversation | Inspire Me Wednesday | Wild Workout Wednesday & Fit and Fashionable Friday | Healthy Living Link Party | Think Tank Thursday | This is How We Roll