Grilling season and camping season are upon us as well as traditional family picnics.
Does eating healthy mean we have to skip out on some of the favorite campfire foods.
Nutritionist Trish Brimhall, RDN, CLE says no! She joined us with tips to make smart choices and keep nutrition in balance.
A big favorite this time of year is hot dogs or sausages cooked on the grill or over the campfire. A lot of people worry they're not healthy because they're processed meats. Trish says processed simply means "prepared". Like all meats prepare at home, sausages and hot dogs are prepared at a plant - simply on a larger scale. Hot dogs and beef sausages are not only easy to prepare, inexpensive and portable, but also satisfying and delicious sources of protein. When choosing a hot dog or sausage Trish says take a minute to read the nutrition label. You may want to choose an uncured hog dog, which means no nitrates or nitrites. Keep an eye on fat and sodium - aiming to keep it under 350 mg sodium or lower.
Then the real key to good nutrition is the overall balance of the mean. What else are you eating at the BBQ? Trish says there is nothing innately wrong with chips, ice cream or hog dog. It should never be about deprivation, but it should be about balance. A good rule of thumb is to offer at least twice as many produce items as fun foods. For example, instead of three kinds of desserts and one fruit, flip that around; maybe a fruit tray, a fruit salad and some slice melon, along with a favorite dessert choice. Same thing goes with chips or other dip-able fun foods. Instead of three kinds of chips and one token, unopened bag of baby carrots, offer three or more veggie choices - sugar snap peas, sweet peppers, carrots, broccoli and a tossed salad and a bag of chips!
You can learn more from Trish at: nutritiousintent.com.
