Memorial Day weekend is the kickoff to cookout season!American backyard BBQ favorites will be staring you in the face. Holiday eating after weight loss surgery can be tricky! Before you decide to bail on the festivities to avoid wrecking your diet, read on for tips to help you get through it.
Burger vs. Hot Dog: Either one will work out, but skip the bun to save calories. Feel free to pile on the lettuce, tomato, onion, sauerkraut, pickles, ketchup, mustard, salsa or relish, but skip the mayo or cheese. Other meat options that are equally as good as or even better than a plain burger or hot dog include chicken (skin and breading removed), seafood, lean steak, or veggie burgers. Skip the ribs, sausage, or brats.
Salads & Side Items: The best options are lettuce or spinach salad, cucumber salad, or tomato salads. Avoid the mayonnaise-based potato and macaroni salads. German potato salad with vinaigrette dressing and coleslaw are great options. Only have ½ cup serving of either.
Eat the corn! Soak up the butter with a napkin. Squeeze some lime juice on for added flavor! Baked beans are a nice choice because they are packed with fiber and protein, but watch the calories and portions. Stick to 1/2 cup. Avoid chips, pretzels, crackers, and dips. They are very tempting, but they are a waste of calories.
Desserts: Skip it if you can! If they’re just calling your name, limit yourself to what lis the most appealing, take the smallest piece, walk away and savor it.
Drinks: Water, water, water! The colder the better. Unsweetened tea with fresh lemon is also a good option. If you do choose alcohol, light beer or wine spritzers are best (with plenty of water as well) but limit to 1-2 drinks. Avoid any sweet, fruity, or frozen concoctions as these will throw your calories for the entire day.
Happy Memorial Day! Enjoy your day and be thankful for all you have. journeylite.com
Dan R says
Great advice. I usually go w a hamburger w grilled onions and mushrooms. Hold the bun. It doesn’t really add any taste. And I work out on the morning so I can treat myself to a small dessert. Moderation is key!
Lucy says
I love these ideas! A burger minus the bun is perfect and still delicious!!!
dina says
Great tips for enjoying the summer festivities while remaining healthy! Thanks!
Jan says
Great idea for a guilt-free barbecue! I always have bunless burgers and pile on the veggies!
slimmer by the day says
Since my sleeve surgery 10 months ago, I stayed skipping the bun and bread options all together. Once I ate them I became full to fast. Part of the backyard BBQ is the social eating that we all dread. I skip the breads and the pastas so I can eat a little longer and focus on the protein. 10 months and nearly 100 pounds down I can guarantee I will attend the festivities and enjoy myself; even have a small dessert if I skip the calories on the alcohol. Just remember to eat slow so your not finished before everyone else!
Brandon says
Anyone have any low carb barbecue sauce recipes?
jenrul says
Almost No Carb Barbecue Sauce
This isn’t a substitute for the “real thing,” it’s an improvement.
3/8 cup vinegar
1 1/2 cup tomato sauce. (1 15 oz can) Buy plain tomato sauce!
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon yellow hot dog mustard
3/4 tablespoon Franks Hot Sauce (the chicken wing sauce)
3/4 tablespoon salt (optional)
3 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
6 teaspoons Splenda or 18 drops of Liquid Splenda
Add vinegar and all other ingredients except mustard to a sauce pan and slowly heat. Put mustard in a cup and slowly stir in a couple tablespoons of sauce until well blended. Then add mustard mixture back to sauce in pan.
Bring to a boil, and lower heat. Let simmer for a few minutes. Let cool, then refrigerate.
Note: this sauce will taste a bit peculiar if you taste it when it is still hot. Don’t worry! Something magical happens when it sits in the fridge.
Carbohydrates per Serving (1 tablespoon): Less than 1 gram. Half an ounce is 1 gm carbs, 6 calories.
celebrating summer says
skipping the mayo based sides is great advice. As i phased those kinds of dishes out, I’ve found the vinegary sides to be that much more appealing. Appreciate the portion size reminder!
On the bread front, I tend to skip that altogether as well. It does allow me to slow down and eat more proteins and enjoy the social eating scene a bit longer
Alex says
Ready to try this BBQ recipe this weekend! Sounds great!
Red, white, and blue!
Happy Memorial Day!
Tashiana Howard says
I absolutely love the idea of letting go the empty calories. The Meat and veggies are your best bet. This is great and definitely the way I’m going to indulge in this summer’s eats! Thanks, Dr.Curry!
Kim Bowlin says
Love all of these ideas! Looking forward to a fun and healthy Holiday!
Charrissiee Washington says
Great advice and a awesome site!!!! fit life!!
Amanda Taylor says
I absolutely love this! I think it’s so important to have healthy choices especially with this being the start of bbq season! I will definitely try this recipe for BBQ sauce this weekend for my kids birthday bbq! Thank you so much for the helpful advice.
Franklin says
Great ideas without going to the extreme of not enjoying the delicious Memorial Day foods!
Dr. C says
Thanks for the comments everyone, keep these in mind for 4th of July!