It’s officially barbecue season! While it might be tempting to pile on the grilled meats, sauces, and sides, instead consider these tips to fill your plate with clean, nutritious, and primarily plant-based options.
Pick your protein
By being strategic with your meal planning, you can easily get enough delicious, clean, vegetarian protein to power you through the summer. You might be surprised by the amount of protein in broccoli, spinach, and lentils! If you’re worried about getting enough protein in your diet, one serving of Orgain plant based protein powder has 21g of the cleanest highest quality protein possible, which is about 40% of the recommended daily protein intake for an adult.
Fantastic fats
While most store-bought salad dressings, dips, and marinades are full of unhealthy ingredients, that doesn’t mean you can’t dress things up a bit. We get it! Sauce is great, and is often the key to take an okay meal to a ‘wow’ meal! Luckily there are healthy fats out there like olive oil to keep life flavorful and functioning on a high level. Consider ditching store bought dressings and sauces and start making your own, thereby controlling the fat, sugar, and salt content. For more tips on healthy fats, check out the Skinny on Healthy Fats.
Healthy choices
Keeping your diet well-rounded and balanced in the summer can be tricky. You’re starving and looking at a table full of heavy potato salads, sugary punches, and plates of hot dogs and hamburgers. We’ve all been there. Eating healthy at a potluck meal can be tough, especially when there is a lot of mayonnaise, red meat, and refined carbohydrates involved! Instead of saying ‘never-ever’ to classic summer barbeque food, pick your food carefully, and you can have the best of both worlds. There are some sneaky healthy options available at most backyard barbeques, like grilled veggies and fruit salad. Look for (or bring!) a coleslaw with a olive oil and vinegar dressing instead of mayo.
Try Staying Seasonal
In general, the best foods for you (and your wallet) are those that are in-season. This summer, embrace seasonal eating for a biodiverse and nutrient dense diet. When you eat seasonally, you’re eating foods at their peak, which means they have the most nutrients to offer your body. Plus, seasonal food is often cheaper because it didn’t have to travel as far to end up at your grocery store. Some vegetables at their best during the summer months are tomatoes, arugula, beets, bell pepper, carrots, cucumber, garlic, radishes, and zucchini. Enjoy with a scoop of Supergreens Hummus for a clean, easy, protein-packed snack or meal!