Sarahs Weightloss Blog

Hey Everyone!

I LURVE BBQS in the summer!  Now the world cup has started we have been enjoying quite a few.  The great thing is BBQ’s can be really healthy, even with burgers and sausages in a bun!  Here are some things I do to try and keep fat and calories low while still having all my favourite things:

Healthy Burgers? Rule one to making sure your burgers are healthy is NOT EVER to buy them ready made from a store – EVER! They have loads of preserves, fat, salt, flavour enhancers – you name it, its got it.  Especially avoid the cheap BBQ deals they have in store – those will be some nasty concoctions.   The best thing to do is make your own and its real easy peasy.

for 4-5 people, get 500gs of extra lean ground pork and 500gs of extra lean ground beef.  Thinly shop 1 large onion.  Get a load of fresh thyme and sage, salt and pepper (as much as you want – season to taste, but take it easy on the salt, you can leave it out altogether if you want).  Get it all in a bowl and just knead it all together with your hands, divide into equal sized ball and shape into burgers – DONE.  Low fat simple burgers.  We don’t have it in the UK much, but you can put minced chicken with the pork, or make ostrich burgers (which is low fat), or even make minced lamb and mint (but minced lamb is quite fatty here – and I can’t find a lean minced lamb anywhere).  Experiment, you can use any meat, any herb, add wine or spirits, whatever you like

For sausages, there are loads of reduced fat alternatives on the market which are around 90-100 kcal per sausage, rather than the going rate of around 200 kcal for a regular one.

Another really low calorie winner are chicken kebabs.  Again DON’T get the glazed processed store bought stuff, cut up some lean chicken breast and make your own skewers alternating between meat and an assortment of veg or your choice.  It doesn’t need any seasoning at all – it tastes great after being smoked on the BBQ and is very low calorie.  Serve in a pitta with salad. YUM!

For other vegetables, get assorted roots vegetables – beetroot, squash, potatoes, carrots etc.  Leave the skins on and whole (except for the squash, unless you have a BBQ big enough!), wrap in tin foil, stick it right in with the charcoal for about 1 hr, unwrap, let it all cool a little before peeling them and eating it – YUM YUM!

If you’re on a serious diet you can eat a selection of these things and not go off the wagon.  If you want to splurge you will still be eating healthy things and so the damage is controlled.  

I ate an awful lot this weekend, but it was good.  The worst thing that happened was the alcohol . . . and our goal keeper letting in the equaliser.  I also ate so much I had more than enough energy to run 6 miles under my target of 1hr Weight is still stable cause I’m still exercising hard and eating healthy things, with a few ‘cheats’ every now and then, but not regularly.

Till next time