Cookout Time!

Around here, Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of the summer cookout season. I always look forward to the chance to hang out with friends and enjoy some great food. Here are some of my strategies for staying healthy at these gatherings (without being "that girl" with the food issues).

• Offer to bring a dish to share, and make it a healthy one. A big green salad, a veggie tray with low fat dip, or a fresh fruit salad is always welcome and it's a good way to get in your produce servings for the day.
• Don't get carried away with condiments. Top your burger with plenty of lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and mustard, but keep in mind that the calories in ketchup and mayo can really add up.
• If you're having a cold beer, make it a light one and save yourself 80-100 calories. Also, monitor the amount of alcohol that you consume. Not only do those calories add up quickly, with your inhibitions lowered you may end up eating more food than you planned to. A good trick is to follow every alcoholic drink with a glass of water.

Have a great weekend everyone!