Healthy BBQ Tips for the Holidays

It's holiday season with the family at home and friends stopping by for a meal, so what better time to dust off the grill and fire up the backyard barbie.

The summer season sausage sizzle usually sounds warning bells for those trying to keep extra kilos off their waist line, but there's really no need for a barbeque spread to put a dent in your diet.

Many people are able to follow a healthy eating plan most days of the week, even during the festive season, and it's a shame to see this good work blown out the window by a backyard barbeque indulgence.

Grilling isn't just for hamburgers and sausages, almost any food can be barbequed to perfection - the key is to be creative. Healthy food choices can taste just as good as traditional, and often less healthy, alternatives.

For example, there are many easy and tasty ways to balance up the usual barbeque banquet by including healthy grain-inspired dishes - both for the main meal and as a side dish. Not only are grain foods economical, they're tasty, simple to prepare, and a guaranteed healthy way to fill you up on goodness.

So when planning your next family feast, here's some tips and easy recipes for a healthy barbeque meal that will let you relax and enjoy, without feeling guilty for digging in.

Top Tips for a Healthy BBQ

1. Try alternatives: Replace some of your meat with BBQ side dishes that include beans, legumes or wholegrains. Any dish that contains rice, pasta, hummus (chickpeas), baked beans (navy beans), or chilli con carne dips (kidney beans) is a good start. Eating more wholegrain foods like wholemeal and mixed grains breads, brown rice and wholemeal pasta is an easy way to replace the fatty, less healthy alternatives and balance up your meal.

2. Side dishes: Pair your lean grilled items with one or more of the following healthy side dishes: fresh green salad, roasted veggies, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes and, for dessert, fruit kebabs. Use wholegrain rolls, but white breads with added fibre or 'smooth' wholemeal breads are good sources of fibre for people who don't like grainy bread. Studies show that people who eat more wholegrain foods each day have a much lower risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.

3. Trim the fat: Use lean, well-trimmed cuts of meat to grill and avoid high-fat meats such as sausages. Keep portion sizes moderate (a serving size about the size of the palm of your hand is a good guide for meat). Choose foods such as fish and skinless poultry more often because they are lower in saturated fat than meat. Eating less fat means easier weight control, a healthier heart, less diabetes and less bowel disorders.

4. Cut the salt: Don't add salt to your food when cooking or at the table, instead, use herbs, spices, and fruit juices to season food. Try basil, bay leaf, cinnamon, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, paprika, parsley or thyme for more flavour without the sodium. Sprinkle some on the food and then cook it as you usually do.

5. 4 Serves a Day: The Australian dietary guidelines recommend a healthy diet should contain at least four serves of 'breads and cereals' each day, and including grain foods with your barbeque will help reach that target. One serve is two slices of bread, a bread roll, or one cup of cooked rice or pasta, and because grains are low in fat, there's no need to hold back.

For more information on the health benefits of grains, and more delicious family favourite recipes, visit: www.gograins.com.au

Gourmet Wholegrain Rolls
Teriyaki Kebabs and Herb Rice

Prawn and Pasta Salad