Barbeque makeover, how to make a summertime favourite healthier

By Bio Island Nutrition Team

One thing is for sure, Australians absolutely love a Barbeque. Whether it’s celebrating birthdays, watching the footy or just a lazy Sunday dinner, everyone knows you can count on the backyard BBQ for a good time and some seriously delicious food.

Unfortunately, across the nation barbeques and greasy high-fat foods go hand in hand. Think about the last barbeque you attended, there is a good chance there was a lot of red meat on offer with the only sight of vegetables coming from a coleslaw and potato salad peeking at you in the corner. While we can’t argue that a traditional barbeque is a delicious affair, we think it’s about time that we try something new on the menu and try to lower the amount of saturated fat and salt you and your guests and consuming.

When thinking about what kind of snacks to put out before you start the main event, try to steer clear of the regular chips and deli meats and opt for some fresh and healthy dips like basil pesto, hummus and guacamole with an arrangement of fresh chopped vegetables like carrots and celery. If you’ve got some cheese lovers attending you don’t need to avoid it completely, simply swap out the cheddar and blue vein for a lighter choice like feta or a light brie, you can even pre cut the portions to help everyone monitor their intake.

When choosing what type of meat to serve, try to limit things like sausages and bacon and instead opt for the best quality steak with the fat trimmed off. Try and limit the amount of salt used on the meat and portion each piece to be no bigger than the size of your palm. It’s also important to try not to burn or blacken the meat while cooking, as this increases the number of carcinogens that people consume.

It’s always good to have a vegetarian option to help balance out the amount of meat on offer and to cater for any vegetarian guests. This is easy enough to do by creating some vegetable kebabs. Just choose your favourite veggies, dice them up and piece them on a skewer and they’re ready to go! You could even make some with cheese or meat so there is plenty of variety for everyone.

Another thing to remember when planning your menu is that seafood is a great addition to any barbeque and a much healthier option than only serving red meat. Simply grill some marinated salmon with the skin on to add that crispy texture or skewer some prawns and serve them with a fresh salad. Delicious and perfect for a hot day.

Remember, healthy alternatives don’t only apply to the main meal, you can also make some easy swaps with your drinks and dessert that everyone will love. Why not swap out the sweet soda and lemonade for some sparkling water that’s flavoured with fresh fruits like berries and lemon. You can continue to highlight fresh summer produce by serving an arrangement of freshly cut fruit kebabs. For any ice cream lovers think about serving some home-made gelato, simply blend up some frozen bananas, mangoes or berries and you’ll have your guests coming back for more.

So there you have it, plenty of ideas to help you turn that basic BBQ into a healthier three course meal that your guests will be raving about.