Redo: Great Flavors, Fewer Calories

Oh boy—here come those grand summer barbeques, and all the tasty treats that go with them. But if you’re a hard-core griller, are you doomed to put on weight during the summer months, or can you have your burger and eat it too?

Here, for example, are 2 possible BBQ platters that will have distinctly different effects on a person’s weight:

BBQ Plate - Choice # 1:

1 chicken drumstick, fried
1 small bag of potato chips, fried
1 hamburger (85 percent lean) with 1 tablespoon of regular mayo on a plain bun

1 hot dog with bun
8 ounces of lemonade, sweetened with sugar
1 slice of ice cream cakeGrant Totals: 1,712 calories, 78 grams fat, 37 grams of sugarsBBQ Plate - Choice # 2: 1 chicken drumstick, baked
1 turkey hot dog, without bun
1 lean (93-percent, fat-free) hamburger, without bun
1 small bag of potato crisps, baked
Watermelon, 1 8-ounce cup
8 ounces of lemonade, sweetened with no-cal sweetenerGrand total: 585 calories, 24 grams fat, 27 grams of sugars (most as fruit sugar or fructose in watermelon). That’s a third of the calories and fat of choice #1!Bottom line: A few changes on your plate can really make or break your calorie and fat intake and could mean the difference between meeting your weight-loss goals this summer or breaking the bank altogether. Here are some other good summer choices that will keep you from going over-the-top:

• Skip the fatty chips and dip and go for the hummus with cut-up vegetables
• Slow down your snacking on edamame—pick soybeans in the pod that you have to open up and eat one by one
• Choose high-fiber crackers with low-fat cheeses
• Top your fresh fruit with low-fat Greek yogurt

Enjoy the summer holidays and find out how tasty eating light can be!

–Margaret Furtado